The Taipei City Government has spent more than NT$326 million on repairing buildings damaged during the 921 earthquake, including roughly NT$178 million to rebuild the Tunghsing Building (
Chen Jeaw-mei (
Chen said that the city has spent roughly NT$178 million reconstructing the Tunghsing Building. Of that amount, NT$115 million came from city coffers and NT$63 million came from public donations.
The repair of eight buildings condemned by the city has cost roughly NT$148 million. The 921 earthquake left the city with 26 condemned buildings in total.
Chang Po-ching (
For example, residents of the Tunghsing Building are entitled to live in government homes, rent-free, for one year. During the second year, the monthly rental payment is just half the normal amount, he said.
The city has also provided psychological counseling services to survivors. A hotline and a Web site have been set up to help quake survivors cope with the trauma, Chang said.
The Tunghsing Building will be rebuilt from the ground up. Each family will be compensated NT$20,000 per ping (or 3.3 square meters), with award amounts ranging between NT$300,000 and NT$800,000.
Chang said the Haomen Building (
To strengthen the city's disaster-response capabilities, Taipei's 12 districts have set up individual emergency response systems and a disaster prevention park. The park would serve as a shelter center during states of emergency.
In addition, on May 9, the city and the nation's first international rescue team, the 64-member Taipei City Urban Search and Rescue Squad (台北市搜救隊), was formed and is currently in the US for a six-week training program.
The team is expected to return on Sept. 10 to present a mock drill on Sept. 21 in memory of the 921 earthquake.
In addition, the city has adopted three villages in the disaster areas, including the Shihkang village in Taichung County, Kuohsing village in Nantou County and Chungliao village in Nantou County.
Relief programs provided to the areas include continuing education provided to 161 students, the adoption of 16 schools and two months of free food and accommodation for the students.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in