Culture and safety
Jing Hung-sying's (景鴻鑫) com-mentary, ("Aviation safety is a question of culture," May 31, page 12), speaks at length about the role of culture conflict as being a primary factor for China Airline's pitiful aviation safety record. He suggests that the National Science Council "coordinate collaborative efforts on the part of academia and industry to improve the compatibility between Western aviation technology and Taiwan's culture and society."
As we observe, EVA airlines has a fine aviation safety record. Other than simply impaneling another committee from academia and industry, perhaps the enigmatic "powers that be" should swiftly act on the recommendation of previous committees and hasten China Airlines privatization.
If "culture" is primarily responsible for China Airlines' state of affairs, in the interim, the company might consider such heretical notions as developing case studies based on EVA airlines, requesting its assistance, or consider attracting EVA talent as a means to overhaul its performance -- actions any responsible author-ity would seriously consider.
Stephen E. Hoover
Miaoli
Jing Hung-sying is exactly right in attributing safety to culture. In another high-risk industry -- nuclear power -- a strong culture is directly correlated with improvements in, and maintenance of safe operations. In the US we use a Culture Index to determine the degree to which an organization has a strong safety culture. This index is highly correlated to positive
regulatory assessments, reductions in human error and overall safe operations.
Components of the Culture Index include quantification of five key elements: strong mission and goals, simple work practices, solid knowledge and skills, a well-developed self-improvement program and effective internal communications. Jing's editorial touched on virtually all of these critical components -- operation and management, training, and "professional independence."
Dan Lyons
Chicago, Illinois
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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