Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday unveiled his "Taiwan Interests Theory" (台灣利益論), which promotes harmony among different ethnic groups, the "Republic of China" as the national title and that the issue of independence or reunification be left to posterity to resolve.
"Ask not what political post you can obtain; ask what you can do for your party and your country," Wang said, adapting the famed words of former US president John F. Kennedy, when asked about his future ambitions during a discussion of his ideas.
Wang said the theory was his contribution to his party and the country.
"Ever since the presidential election, Taiwan has become a `twin peak society' with a high degree of tension between ethnic groups.
"There is no middle-way force to balance society, which is unfortunate for the country. That is why I am proposing this theory," Wang said.
In the theory, Wang says that all five ethnic groups -- Mainlanders, Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), Hakka, Aborigines and new immigrants by marriage -- should respect each other in the pursuit of harmony.
With regard to national identity, Wang said that the "Republic of China" is the national title that has most people's support and that the nation should continue to pursue awareness of its sovereignty in the ongoing creation of a "middle-way" society.
Wang said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is in fact a "middle-way" party and the force of the "middle way" should be allowed to gather momentum.
"We should maintain the status quo with regard to cross-strait relations and we should promote economic cooperation instead of political disputes. The issue of independence and reunification should be left to posterity to decide," Wang said.
Wang said that the nation should strive to globalize while adding local color to the process.
He also said Taiwan should join more international economic networks to avoid the problem of being marginalized.
Wang quoted poll figures which he said showed an investigation into the March 19 shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) should proceed to safeguard Taiwan's democratic values.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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