The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday set a timer to calculate the number of days it would take for China Airlines (CAL) to change its name to Taiwan Airlines after Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) reiterated his support for the name-change campaign on Monday, adding that it dared the transportation minister to rename the airline.
Whether the airline’s name should be changed has become a subject of heated debate after it was entrusted with the task of transporting masks and other disease-prevention materials to countries severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline’s name, which was also displayed on the containers of the materials, has led some people to think that the materials were donated by China, not Taiwan.
Asked about it yesterday, Lin said: “We welcome the KMT and the public brainstorming ideas for Taiwan to be recognized for its efforts. The party may have tried to generate conversation about the topic by setting up a timer, but by doing so it inadvertently exposed its own problems... If it truly embraces Taiwan, it should set a timer for itself, counting the days until it changes its name to the Taiwan Nationalist Party.”
People likely care more about when the party will change its name than when the airline is to be renamed, Lin added.
Changing the airline’s name would require the public and politicians to reach a consensus, Lin said, adding that it is also a matter for the airline’s management.
The KMT should not turn the issue into a political one, he added.
“Our message to the world is: ‘Taiwan can help,’ and we are taking medical aid to people around the world on the belief that disease prevention has no borders. Through the foreign aid, we are also sharing our experience of combating the disease with the world,” Lin said. “People should cherish the hard-earned recognition from the international community for our performance in curbing the spread of COVID-19.”
Lin later said on Facebook that this was not the first time that people had raised the issue, but it drew much more feedback from young people this time because they do not want other countries to confuse Taiwan with China.
Lin said that he had reminded the airline to not use unnecessary signs that might easily lead to misunderstandings.
Even though the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is the airline’s major shareholder, the airline is a publicly traded firm and has to respect other shareholders, he said.
Before the public reaches a consensus on this issue, Lin said that he would ask the airline to highlight imagery on the exterior and interior of the aircraft that would be less confusing.
“The KMT seems to think such an important issue can be decided by a single politician alone, as if we are still under an authoritarian regime,” he said.
“Instead of setting up a timer or creating a Web site for Taiwan Airlines, we sincerely hope that the KMT can work with us and Taiwanese … and join us in preventing the spread of disease,” he added.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
RSS