Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Both occasions were overflowing with pre-election atmosphere.
Ma led his administrative team to his news conference, held at the newly built theater in Taipei City Hall. Ma and the 37 bureau directors all wore white jackets with an eye-catching small national flag patched on the left side of the chest, which Ma said was a reminder of the anniversary of the Constitution's implementation.
Ma pointed out in his keynote speech that the past year was one full of hazards and adversity for Taipei.
"Due to the SARS outbreak, the city government did not perform as well as expected this year despite the fact that the administrative team made a greater effort than last year," Ma said.
No pressure
"Although I am not under pressure for being re-elected, I have the pressure of historical evaluation for being Taipei City Mayor for two terms," he said.
Ma emphasized that he will demand of bureau directors to be more aggressive and to strengthen their ability to handle emergencies.
When asked by reporters how he maintains administrative neutrality and takes care of municipal affairs since he took over as the pan-blue alliance's chief campaign manager last month, Ma said he believes in the principle of administrative neutrality and expect the same from his subordinates.
Protection
As for his openly opposing Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan (
Ma also predicted that the central government will have to give up insisting not to open the three links on May 20 next year, emphasizing that those who support direct links with China will win the presidential election.
But before the three direct links are implemented, Kaohsiung will become Taiwan's first Free Trade Port in January, Hsieh announced at a year-end news conference held at the central park in Kaohsiung.
Hsieh said that Kaohsiung's application for the Statute Governing the Establishment and Management of Free Trade Ports (
The Light Rail Vehicle Transit that is under construction in Kaohsiung is another accomplishment which will relieve traffic congestion in the city in the future.
When asked whether his performance will influence President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) re-election, Hsieh said it is beyond any doubt, because Chen cared much about the development of central Taiwan.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
Taiwanese were praised for their composure after a video filmed by Taiwanese tourists capturing the moment a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Aomori Prefecture went viral on social media. The video shows a hotel room shaking violently amid Monday’s quake, with objects falling to the ground. Two Taiwanese began filming with their mobile phones, while two others held the sides of a TV to prevent it from falling. When the shaking stopped, the pair calmly took down the TV and laid it flat on a tatami mat, the video shows. The video also captured the group talking about the safety of their companions bathing
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