HEALTH
Drugs institute to be set up
China Medical University and Center Laboratories have signed a contract to establish the nation’s first drug manufacturing institute. The institute aims to remedy the labor shortage faced by drug manufacturers by serving as a bridge for students from a wide variety of backgrounds to enter the field. Students will be taught by both China Medical University professors and industry professionals, with training focusing on quality control, drug research and development, intellectual property and management. After the first year of courses, students are to intern with Center Laboratories to clarify their interests and ensure a smooth transition into their future work. The institute has already begun accepting applications, aiming to begin training 15 master’s and five doctoral students next year. After graduating, jobs at Center Laboratories will be arranged for all students.
TRANSPORTATION
New mobile MRT map out
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp yesterday released the latest route map for mobile devices detailing the expanded MRT network that now includes the new semicircular Songshan Line (松山線). The map shows all five lines with the names of the stations listed in Chinese and is aimed at making it easier for passengers to plan their routes, the company said. The map can be downloaded from: m.trtc.com.tw/metrotaipei.jpg. The 8.5km Songshan Line was inaugurated on Saturday last week and is an extension of the green Xindian Line (新店線). The new line runs from Xindian (新店) in New Taipei City to Ximen Station (西門) and then turns east through six other stations before ending at Songshan (松山). From west to east, the six stations are Beimen (北門), Zhongshan (中山), Songjiang Nanjing (松江南京), Nanjing Fuxing (南京復興), Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋) and Nanjing Sanmin (南京三民).
ECONOMICS
Taipei, Tokyo to sign MOUs
Taiwan and Japan are expected to sign four more memorandums of understanding (MOUs) after the conclusion of a bilateral annual economic meeting in Taipei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday on the opening day of the summit. Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) told reporters on the sidelines of a legislative committee meeting that during the two-day economic meeting, the two sides are to discuss issues related to the four proposed MOUs, including one to promote tourism exchanges. The other MOUs cover the exchange of information on immigration, nuclear power safety and patent protection related to biotechnological research, a ministry official said. According to the ministry, Taiwan and Japan have signed 14 agreements since April 2009, including a working holiday agreement, an investment protection accord and a fishery agreement.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Austria work holiday inked
Taiwan and Austria have signed a joint statement that paves the way for a reciprocal working holiday program that is expected to be launched by the end of this year at the earliest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The statement was signed a day earlier, the ministry said, adding that the working holiday program would be launched after the two countries complete follow-up procedures. Further details about the program will be announced once they are finalized, it said. Under the terms of the agreement, Taiwan and Austria will each allow an annual quota of 50 citizens aged 18 to 30 to travel and work in the opposite country for up to six months, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
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