China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘) yesterday arrived in Taiwan for a seven-day visit.
Chen headed to the Taichung-based Tachia Chenlan Temple on arrival, which is dedicated to Matsu, goddess of the sea, a Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) official said.
Chen is to visit Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Yilan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Nantou.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The main purpose of the trip is to engage with Taiwanese in grassroots communities and promote cross-strait cultural, economic and trade policies, the official said.
Separately yesterday, a meeting was held with SEF Vice Chairman Shih Hui-fen (施惠芬) and ARATS Deputy Chairman Zheng Lizhong (鄭立中) to review the results of agreements signed by the two organizations.
At a press briefing in Taipei, Zheng denied that only large companies benefit from the pacts.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“No trade or economic activities can create equal benefits for all people, but the overall economy can see spill-over effects, such as job creation and tax revenue growth,” he said.
When asked about actions taken by ARATS after the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, on Oct. 22 published a report on 15 government agencies and state-owned enterprises including the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), Zheng said that there was illegal solicitation of funding among organizations tasked with handling cross-strait affairs.
“Problems such as soliciting sponsorship do exist,” Zheng said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The report said the TAO is soft on officials that are found to have violated regulations and has poor supervision of organizations under its umbrella.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS