DIPLOMACY
Islands belong to ROC: Tsai
The Diaoyutai Islands are a part of the Republic of China (ROC), and this is the firm stance of the government, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said before attending a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday. Ishigaki City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama plans change the name of the disputed islets in the East China Sea, from the Senkaku Islands, as they are known in Japan, to“ Tonoshiro Senkaku.” Tsai called on all parties to set aside their differences and settle the issue peacefully, and to jointly develop the area. Tsai thanked Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tzu-miao (林姿妙) for an invitation to visit the islands and erect a sign to declare Taiwan’s sovereignty over them, without elaborating. Tsai also said she welcomed Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil’s planned visit to Taiwan in late August. Taiwan and the Czech Republic share democratic values and the liberties brought by them, Tsai said, adding that Vystrcil’s visit would help promote closer ties between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
EDUCATION
Sixteen schools enter list
Sixteen Taiwanese universities were included in the 2021 QS World University Rankings released yesterday, with National Taiwan University (NTU) placing 66th, up from 69th from last year, and the National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) breaking into the top 500 for the first time. NTU is the only Taiwanese university in the top 100. Also in the top 500 were National Tsing Hua University (168), National Cheng Kung University (234), National Chiao Tung University (240), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (267), National Yang Ming University (298), National Taiwan Normal University (331), Taipei Medical University (387), National Sun Yat-sen University (416), National Central University at (465), NTUT (488) and Chang Gung University (493). National Chengchi University ranked between 581 and 590, National Chung Hsing University between 601 and 650, Kaohsiung Medical University between 701 and 750, and National Chung Cheng University between 801 and 1,000.
TOURISM
Islands added to subsidies
Efforts by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪) has seen Lanyu (蘭嶼, Orchid Island ) and Green Island (綠島) added to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ subsidy package for group tours. Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Hsi-tsung (張錫聰) said the bureau will amend the plan and forward the changes to the Executive Yuan for approval. The package was approved with the intent to promote tourism during Summer as the spread of COVID-19 been taken under control in Taiwan. The subsidy package, which is to launch next month, originally included NT$1,200 (US$40.38) in daily subsidies for travelers to Kinmen, Lienchiang and Penghu counties, with the maximum subsidy per group capped at NT$70,000.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Trainer conducts test flight
The nation’s first indigenously built advanced jet trainer conducted its first test flight at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (清泉崗) yesterday, when a prototype trainer flew for about 20 minutes. The plane, named Yung Yin (勇鷹, Brave Eagle) took off at about 9am accompanied by two Indigenous Defense Fighter jets and kept its landing gear extended during the flight before landing.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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