The Council of Marine Affairs, to be established next month, is to be housed in Kaohsiung’s Software Technology Park, the Cabinet said.
The council, which is to oversee the offices of marine conservation and research, as well as the Coast Guard Administration, would be the first central government department in Kaohsiung.
The council is to rent the space for four years at a cost of NT$79.9 million (US$2.74 million), said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Asked whether the council would seek to purchase its own office space, the official said that while the decision would require further planning, the government would likely purchase an office building if more central government departments move to the city.
While the coast guard office would remain in Taipei, council officials, conservationists and researchers would be stationed at the Kaohsiung office, the official said, adding that the three groups would work together as a single department.
The office is to be in the building that houses Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s research and development facilities, the official said.
The lease was signed last month and renovations are under way, the official said.
The location was chosen because the Ministry of Science and Technology has a marine technology research center in the city, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said.
Since the responsibilities of the new council are to overlap with those of the center, the government hopes to merge the two to increase their efficiency, he added.
Meanwhile, preparations for the committee’s establishment are being handled mostly by the coast guard, although its responsibilities would go far beyond those traditionally handled by the coast guard, sources 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
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