The Executive Yuan is studying the possibility of relocating the Taipei Domestic Airport (Sungshan) and turning the airport, in its new location, into a center for direct aviation links with China.
"We're reviewing the possibility because certain circumstances have changed over the years," Premier Yu Shyi-kun told reporters yesterday.
Yu was referring to the planned completion of the north-south high-speed railway in 2005 and the mass rapid transit system connecting the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and Taipei.
"Of course, the relocation project will not take place until an appropriate new location is found," he said.
When President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was mayor of Taipei, his administration considered five possible locations for relocating the airport -- Tamsui, Kuantu, Yilan, Shanchi as well as incorporating into the CKS location.
Chen was also mulling over the idea of turning the new airport into a base for direct links with China.
The city's plan, however, eventually fell flat because it was not a local but a national issue which would require the approval of the central government.
Yu said the government has not ruled out the possibility of making the new place a possible location for direct links with China.
"There's definitely room for pub-lic debate," Yu said.
"We'll back whatever proposal that is to the advantage of the overall development of the city and the country," he said.
The premier, however, pointed out that developing direct links with China is not a cure-all remedy for the economy.
"We are hesitant to have direct links with China if it is still hostile toward us," he said.
On Tuesday, the DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) resurrected the idea of relocating the airport and proposed turning the Sungshan site into a public park.
The Taipei City Government, however, has proposed keeping the airport at its present location but turning it into a center for direct links.
Meanwhile, in a bid to establish a bilingual living environment, the Executive Yuan is studying the possibility of offering incentives to television and radio stations to produce bilingual news programs and other programs.
"The premier expects to see a complete report on the subject within three to six months," Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (
"If the proposal is feasible, we're thinking of starting with the Public Television Service [公視]," he said.
Chuang made the remarks during the press conference held after the weekly Cabinet meeting.
He said that Yu also requested that the Government Information Office present a proposal within a month on how to deal with the problems created by the fact that a single conglomerate monopolizes the cable-service providers in each administrative district in a city.
"It really bothers us that such English-language channels as CNN and BBC are placed in the end of the channel line-up," Chuang said.
In addition, Chuang said that the government is considering proposals that would raise the profile and use of translators in the bureaucracy.
He said the government is debating raising the fees paid to translators in order to encourage more people to translate government publications into foreign languages.
Chuang said the Cabinet is also considering hiring full-time translators to help elevate the English-language ability of civil servants.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
The Tainan District Court has found a teenager guilty of posting a sexually explicit video of his girlfriend on social media without consent. The court ruled his parents were legally responsible for the boy’s actions, and ordered NT$500,000 (US$16,051) to be paid in compensation to the victim. The incident took place in December last year, when the boy and his girlfriend, both under 18 and legally minors at the time of the incident, were in a relationship. The boy asked her to send him explicit videos, according to a court filing. A month later, he posted the video on social media, with its visibility
RSS