■ Education
Foreign spouses honored
An exposition on the lifelong learning achievements of foreign spouses will be held in Kaohsiung on Sunday, with the aim of displaying the pluralistic society of a Taiwan rich in different cultures, Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) announced yesterday. Noting that one out of every seven or eight children born here are the offspring of parents in intercultural marriages, Tu said Taiwan has to face the issue squarely. Education aims to allow foreign spouses to join Taiwanese society, which in turn helps them educate their children, he said. With a view to creating a more pluralistic society, Tu said, the Executive Yuan and his ministry don't want the foreign spouses to "become thoroughly Taiwanese" by giving up their own cultures. Tu added that he hopes these spouses from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries will be proud of their own cultures and that Taiwanese people will try to understand these cultures better.
■ Health
Name change applauded
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) expressed delight yesterday to seeing the World Medical Association's (WMA's) recent approval of Taiwan's request for a membership name change from "Chinese Medical Association Taipei" to "Taiwan Medical Association." While receiving visiting WMA Chairman Yank Coble, Jr. and Vice Chairman Dr. Tai Joon-moon at the Presidential Office yesterday, Chen expressed gratitude for their assistance in the country's successful bid to have the name changed at a WMA general assembly held in Tokyo last month. Chen also told Coble of Taiwan's desire to join the World Health Organization (WHO), a continuing attempt of which the WMA has been supportive since 2001, that has always failed due to China's opposition.
■ Elections
Ex-patriots returning
With the approach of the Dec. 11 legislative elections, Taiwanese expatriates in Los Angeles are returning to Taiwan to lend support to their favored candidates. As voters in the legislative elections have to reside in a constituency for six consecutive months to be eligible to vote in the elections, most of the expatriates are unlikely to be able to take part in the voting. For this reason, the numbers returning are relatively smaller than those who returned for the March 20 presidential elections. As of Tuesday, more than 1,000 expatriates had registered to take part in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while supporters of the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party, People First Party and the Taiwan Solidarity Union have decided that they will provide assistance based on the needs of the individual candidates.
■ DiplomacY
EU group strengthens ties
Several parliamentarians from the EU have decided collectively to work to strengthen ties with Taiwan, according to a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released last night. The statement announced the successful completion of the inaugural and first annual summit of the Marco Polo Club, an organization consisting of 26 pro-Taiwan lawmakers from 25 EU member nations. The club said in a statement that Taiwan deserved to be accorded the opportunity to participate in international organizations. It pointed in particular to the nation's bid for observer status in the WHO. The club also urged ban on weapons sales to China be retained.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
RSS