POLITICS
Tsai rejects Ko’s silence
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday said that Taiwan should remain silent on “one country, two systems,” the unification formula Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) espoused earlier this year. Ko said that “it would be best to not say anything,” as discussions regarding “one country, two systems” have formed an unmanageable vicious circle. Rejecting Ko’s comment, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that it is important that the government is clear on topics that concern the interests of Taiwanese. It is equally important, she said, to avoid misjudgement and misunderstanding by members of the international community and China. Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) declined to comment on Ko’s remark, but said the majority of Taiwanese do not agree with China’s “one country, two systems” formula.
TOURISM
Yilan balloon fair touted
Visitors to Yilan County have an opportunity to view its picturesque rice fields from above when its hot air balloon fair opens this month, the Yilan County Government said on Thursday. The fair is to be held on the weekends of June 8 and June 15 in Dongshan Township (冬山), offering visitors and residents hot air balloon rides at NT$500 (US$15.82) per person, the government said. From the air, the view is one of boundless green paddy fields, unmarred by electricity wires or tall buildings, with nothing but a narrow concrete path meandering though the fields, it said. Yilan first launched the hot air balloon fair last year, attracting more than 100,000 visitors, it added.
ARTS
Troupe eyes ticket sales
Performing arts troupe Paper Windmill Theatre yesterday urged the public to purchase tickets for its performances for less-fortunate children. In offering the tickets, founder of Paper Windmill Theatre Lee Yung-feng (李永豐) said that the troupe is allowing audience members to pay for extra NT$650 tickets for children in need. Since December 2006, the troupe has staged 682 free shows in 368 townships, aiming to bridge the cultural gap between rural and urban areas, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to enjoy a live theatrical performance. However, to help nurture and encourage creativity in children, Lee said what the troupe has been doing is not enough. Providing children with access to the arts not only inspires hopes and dreams, Lee said, but could help transform the nation’s traditional crafts. Paper Windmill Theatre is performing its classic Paper Windmill Fantasy at the National Performing Arts Center in Taipei today and tomorrow.
LOTTERY
NT$300m added to jackpots
Taiwan Lottery Co has added an additional NT$300 million to the jackpots of two national lotteries to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. In anticipation of the festival, Taiwan Lottery has added an extra NT$200 million to the Power Lottery from Monday to July 25, the company said. There would also be an additional 100 lottery draws of NT$1 million in the Grand Lottery game from Tuesday to June 21, the company said. The company is also increasing the prizes of its Bingo Bingo game for 16 consecutive days beginning yesterday. This year’s Dragon Boat Festival, one of the three major traditional festivals along with the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year, is on Friday.
SAFETY
Nitrous oxide rules tightened
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced that it would include nitrous oxide, a gas often used in whipped cream, as a food additive requiring tighter control. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is commonly used as a whipping agent in whipped cream dispensers and coffee floats. About 30 to 40 tonnes are consumed each year in Taiwan and it is currently listed as a food ingredient, which only needs to meet hygienic standards, agency official Wei Jen-ting (魏任廷) said. Following in the steps of other nations, the agency’s inclusion of nitrous oxide in the list of food additives requiring tighter control means that it would be subject to usage standards and a maximum quantity limit, as well as other limitations and requirements. Manufacturers would also be required to obtain a registration permit for the production or sale of the gas. The agency would open the draft regulations for public comment for 60 days and expects to implement them on Jan. 1 next year, Wei said.
DEFENSE
Officials say no links to firms
The Ministry of National Defense and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology have not purchased products from eight Taiwanese companies that have been placed on a US Department of Commerce blacklist, military officials said on Wednesday. The department on May 15 announced that Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co and 70 affiliated firms had been added to its export control “Entity List” due to regulatory breaches. Among the 70 affiliates were eight Taiwanese enterprises, including Xunwei Technologies, Huawei’s representative in Taiwan. Aside from their association with Huawei, the other seven companies were reportedly listed because of suspected breaches of a US embargo on trade with Iran.
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
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