The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that it has no plans to release land occupied by the National Defense University’s Fu Hsing Kang College (復興崗) despite the Taipei City Government’s request that it do so to free up space for city government projects.
On Monday, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), accompanied by a group of people including Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor and legislative candidate Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), tried to visit the military academy in Beitou District (北投), but they were denied entry by the ministry.
The ministry, which manages the university, cited concern over the visit’s political implication during an election period and the need to uphold the principle of neutrality.
The group held a news conference outside the campus, with Wu giving a presentation on her proposal — the Beitou Regeneration Project — asking the ministry to give 20 hectares of land occupied by the 37.6-hectare campus by downsizing its school buildings.
Wu said the land that the college occupies has a very low usage rate, as it has just about 1,000 cadets and faculty members, which works out to one person per 400m2 of land.
The project seeks to boost land usage in Beitou by asking the ministry to release the land for the city government to build parks, public housing and research facilities for long-term care systems and medical projects for the elderly.
The Fu Hsing Kang area is close to Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang Ming University and hospitals in Guandu, making it an ideal site for conducting medical research and developing a long-term care system, Wu said.
It also offers transport convenience as it is near several MRT stations on the Tamsui-Xinyi line, which would connect the aforementioned medical facilities if the project pushes through, Wu said.
Ko has endorsed the proejct, saying during a Taipei City Council meeting that it sounds “100 percent feasible” and has instructed his staff to devise plans to implement it.
However, the project has met resistance from the ministry, which rebutted Wu’s claim that the land has a low usage rate.
Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) yesterday said the college has six units that combined comprise between 2,100 and 2,900 cadets and faculty members at all times.
The campus purpose differs greatly from those of other schools as cadets at the academy often engage in grenade-pitching drills, relay races involving the delivery of weapons and hurdle races, and therefore requires wider space, Lo said.
The academy is vested with missions during peace and war, for which it has been designated a venue for large conventions and accommodation center for residents across Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung in the event of a disaster, he said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
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;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
The Tainan District Court has found a teenager guilty of posting a sexually explicit video of his girlfriend on social media without consent. The court ruled his parents were legally responsible for the boy’s actions, and ordered NT$500,000 (US$16,051) to be paid in compensation to the victim. The incident took place in December last year, when the boy and his girlfriend, both under 18 and legally minors at the time of the incident, were in a relationship. The boy asked her to send him explicit videos, according to a court filing. A month later, he posted the video on social media, with its visibility
RSS