Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), who has impressed people with his humor, efficiency and his trademark bald head, published an autobiography yesterday recounting his 56 years and his vision for the country's future.
Su gave a speech yesterday at the Far Eastern Plaza on the metamorphosis and development of Taipei County on the invitation of the book's publisher, Commonwealth Publishing Co.
PHOTO: CNA
Su's speech attracted over 100 people. But Su did not promote his book in the address, insisting on separating public affairs from private interests.
"For a long time, people have had a vague image of Taipei County," Su said. "People do not understand Taipei County. They don't know how large it is, they don't know how many people live there and don't know its history.
"In a sense, it is an invisible city to many people in Taiwan," Su said.
Su said many people refer to themselves as Taipei residents or people of Chungho, Sanchung or Hsinchuang.
"But they seldom realize that they actually live in Taipei County," he said.
Su added that many people settled in Taipei County in their youth -- getting married, having children and establishing their career -- yet do not identify themselves as county residents.
"What I've been working on is building up the collective identity and sense of honor for residents living in Taipei County, and to make them say proudly and loudly that `I am of Taipei County.'" Su said.
He said although Taipei County is the nation's most populous county, with nearly 3.67 million people -- more than the population of Singapore -- it does not get the funding or attention that it deserves.
"Taipei County, which is eight times larger than Taipei City, has only half the budget that Taipei City has. We seem to be put in a subordinate place, which is unfair," he said.
Su said he tries hard to overcome the difficulties brought by a lack of funding.
Despite limited budgets, Su said the Taipei County Government has seen through the rebirth of many abandoned spaces and factories into commercial areas.
"We want our residents to live in their own community and to consume in Taipei County," he said.
Su said he is proud of the renovation along the embankment of Tamsui River, which he said gave Taipei County a new atmosphere.
"About 59 basketball courts, 10 baseball diamonds and five fishing ponds were built along the river," Su said. "I know we save many kids from idling, gambling or doing drugs after class."
Su said he disagreed with a proposal by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"I agree to simplify the administrative divisions of government," Su said. "But I oppose any proposal lacking deliberation and study. What Taiwan needs now is long-term planning rather than irresponsible remarks."
China might accelerate its strategic actions toward Taiwan, the South China Sea and across the first island chain, after the US officially entered a military conflict with Iran, as Beijing would perceive Washington as incapable of fighting a two-front war, a military expert said yesterday. The US’ ongoing conflict with Iran is not merely an act of retaliation or a “delaying tactic,” but a strategic military campaign aimed at dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and reshaping the regional order in the Middle East, said National Defense University distinguished adjunct lecturer Holmes Liao (廖宏祥), former McDonnell Douglas Aerospace representative in Taiwan. If
TO BE APPEALED: The environment ministry said coal reduction goals had to be reached within two months, which was against the principle of legitimate expectation The Taipei High Administrative Court on Thursday ruled in favor of the Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau in its administrative litigation against the Ministry of Environment for the rescission of a NT$18 million fine (US$609,570) imposed by the bureau on the Taichung Power Plant in 2019 for alleged excess coal power generation. The bureau in November 2019 revised what it said was a “slip of the pen” in the text of the operating permit granted to the plant — which is run by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) — in October 2017. The permit originally read: “reduce coal use by 40 percent from Jan.
‘SPEY’ REACTION: Beijing said its Eastern Theater Command ‘organized troops to monitor and guard the entire process’ of a Taiwan Strait transit China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early yesterday, 61 of which crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait. It was not clear why so many planes were scrambled, said the Ministry of National Defense, which tabulated the flights. The aircraft were sent in two separate tranches, the ministry said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday “confirmed and welcomed” a transit by the British Royal Navy’s HMS Spey, a River-class offshore patrol vessel, through the Taiwan Strait a day earlier. The ship’s transit “once again [reaffirmed the Strait’s] status as international waters,” the foreign ministry said. “Such transits by
Taiwan is doing everything it can to prevent a military conflict with China, including building up asymmetric defense capabilities and fortifying public resilience, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said in a recent interview. “Everything we are doing is to prevent a conflict from happening, whether it is 2027 or before that or beyond that,” Hsiao told American podcaster Shawn Ryan of the Shawn Ryan Show. She was referring to a timeline cited by several US military and intelligence officials, who said Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had instructed the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to be ready to take military action against Taiwan
RSS