Oh dear, the government has shot itself in the foot again. On Wednesday the Executive Yuan approved an amendment to the Law on Local Government Systems (
Taipei, Taoyuan, Changhua, Tainan and Kaohsiung Counties -- all of which have populations exceeding 1 million -- are also unhappy and have vowed to fight the central government. A war over jurisdiction is about to begin.
After the downsizing of the provincial government, Taiwan's executive system now only has two layers: the central and local (county and city) governments. All county and city governments, as well as the special municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung Cities, answer directly to the central government. But the two municipalities have a higher legal status than the counties and "ordinary" cities. Together they get 43 percent of the Tax Redistribution Fund
On the personnel side, special municipality officials hold higher positions than their counterparts in other county and city governments. The chief executives also enjoy much more freedom in personnel appointments. Mayors of the special municipalities can attend Executive Yuan meetings and participate in government policy-making. They also have much closer ties with the central government and have an easier time getting its support when needed. This is why Taichung City's promotion has its rivals upset.
Taichung City's population has now reached 0.96 million. It is central Taiwan's leading player in the economic, political, consumer and cultural spheres. The upgrade will help balance the development of northern, central and southern Taiwan. The problem lies in the central government qualifying the city purely in terms of population -- a standard that inevitably drew anger from other counties and cities with populations of more than 1 million.
The main purpose of the upgrade was to fulfill one of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) election promises. The move was also designed to boost the re-election bid of Taichung Mayor Chang Wen-ying (張溫鷹), a DPP member. But Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) also promised Taoyuan County -- her constituency -- that it would get upgraded first. And there is no reason why Taipei County, with its 3 million-plus population, should not demand promotion. So upgrading only Taichung City is certainly questionable.
Reforms are certainly needed at the local political level, however, they should not be based on half-baked solutions. The government should draft an administrative district division law (
The government should also amend the current Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures
Upgrading Taichung City into a special municipality will have a major significance for regional development. But remember: Taichung's airports and harbor are located in Taichung County. Without good overall planning and complementary measures, the prospects for a city surrounded by a hostile county are not likely to be good.
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
Taiwan ranks second globally in terms of share of population with a higher-education degree, with about 60 percent of Taiwanese holding a post-secondary or graduate degree, a survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed. The findings are consistent with Ministry of the Interior data, which showed that as of the end of last year, 10.602 million Taiwanese had completed post-secondary education or higher. Among them, the number of women with graduate degrees was 786,000, an increase of 48.1 percent over the past decade and a faster rate of growth than among men. A highly educated population brings clear advantages.
In the opening remarks of her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) framed her visit as a historic occasion. In his own remarks, Xi had also emphasized the history of the relationship between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Where they differed was that Cheng’s account, while flawed by its omissions, at least partially corresponded to reality. The meeting was certainly historic, albeit not in the way that Cheng and Xi were signaling, and not from the perspective
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