The Executive Yuan yesterday appeared to fumble for an explanation after Cabinet officials gave different responses on the number of industries and projects chosen for the government’s flagship plan for a global investment-solicitation initiative.
Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Christina Liu (劉憶如) presented a proposal for 12 industries and projects to be targeted in the government’s initiative to seek global investment at a meeting chaired by Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on Wednesday.
After the meeting, Government Information Office (GIO) Vice Minister George Hsu (許秋煌) said the meeting did not come to a conclusion on the proposal, adding that Wu hoped the CEPD would solicit more views from civic groups in two meetings scheduled to take place next month.
However, at a separate setting on Wednesday night, Liu said Wu approved her proposal after a minor revision.
The different versions offered by the GIO and the CEPD led to different media reports, with some saying that 12 industries and projects were selected, while others reported that it was 10.
Asked about the discrepancy after the Cabinet’s weekly meeting yesterday, Liu said on Wednesday evening she had prepared a press release to correct Hsu’s comments after she noticed the Central News Agency and the United Daily Evening News had carried reports on them. The GIO decided not to release the press release, she said, adding that the office told her that the process to issue a statement to clarify previous remarks could be problematic because it would require the premier’s approval.
At a separate setting yesterday, Wu said the Wednesday meeting was for Cabinet officials to exchange opinions and not a statutory mechanism where the Cabinet hammered out policy.
Last night, the Executive Yuan issued a statement saying that the CEPD would continue to promote the initiative’s 10 programs. The programs are the proposed Taoyuan international aviation city, urban renewal, new high-tech industrial clustering in central Taiwan, cultural innovation and digital content, medical care, biotech and sophisticated agriculture, the internationalization of cuisines, cloud computing and WiMAX, smart electric cars and environmentally friendly energy and buildings.
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
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
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
RSS