Premier Yu Shyi-kun pledged to accomplish four major tasks -- fostering a national identity, establishing a failsafe security network, building a clean political environment and forging strategic alliances -- in a report Tuesday to the legislative Yuan on the policy of his administration.
Yu reaffirmed the govern-ment's determination to establish a Taiwanese identity on the basis of pluralistic ethnicity by putting emphasis on harmony between national pluralistic ethnic groups.
He also vowed to do everything possible to protect the collective rights and interests of all ethnic groups in Taiwan while safeguarding both civil rights and cultural rights for foreign spouses, including those from China.
With respect to the establishment of a failsafe security network, Yu outlined a government plan to develop criminal investigation know-how and renew all equipment with a view to preventing organized crime.
As for building a clean political environment, Yu reiterated the government's determination to continue to intensify the political donation management system and to set up an anti-corruption mechanism.
He also called on the legislature to speed up screening of several major draft bills on political reforms, including a draft political party law, a draft lobbying law and a draft law governing the disposal of ill-gotten party assets.
Touching on forging strategic alliances, the premier said his administration will seek to sign free trade agreements with other major nations so that the country will not be marginalized in the face of global economic integration, while continuing to upgrade Taiwan's global competitiveness.
In the face of a new cross-Taiwan Strait situation following the March 20 presidential election, the premier pledged that the government will continue to devote itself to stabilizing relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and expanding bilateral trade and economic exchanges under the basic principles of "Taiwan first, reciprocity and risk management."
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail