Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴), an illegitimate son of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), confirmed yesterday that he will officially begin using the surname Chiang to "reflect the truth."
Chang confirmed that the process of changing his name had been completed. He applied for the name change with the Ministry of the Interior in May 2002.
From yesterday, Chang said, he would be known as John Chiang, which appears on his new identification card.
"My three adult children support my decision, and they will also follow suit by changing their surname soon," Chiang said.
Speaking to reporters at the Legislative Yuan, Chiang -- who along with his twin brother Winston Chang were born in Guilin in Guangxi Province in 1941 to Chiang Ching-kuo and Chang Ya-juo (章亞若) -- said his name change was a family affair.
"I made the decision after extensive discussions with members of my immediate family and relatives. The change represents a respect for history, a return to the facts, and a realization of my parents' wishes," Chiang said.
Chiang, a former minister of foreign affairs and KMT secretary-general, said that it is no longer a secret that Chiang Ching-kuo is his natural father.
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.
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
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
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