The Executive Yuan yesterday said that more deliberation was needed before a proposal to have the national emblem changed could be reviewed by the Ministry of the Interior.
Lawmakers at an extraordinary session at the legislature in Taipei on Friday voted to request an evaluation report from the ministry on the issue, saying that the emblem is too similar to that of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The New Power Party (NPP) — which initiated the vote — said that the national emblem causes confusion over Taiwan’s status as a multiparty state, and was inappropriate given the nation’s 30 years of democratization.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
It called on the ministry to report on the issue within two months.
The resolution passed 63-37, with votes cast along party lines, with the NPP and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voting for it, and the KMT voting against, while the five members of the Taiwan People’s Party abstained.
The resolution’s text says that the national emblem is “easily confused” with the KMT’s emblem, arguing that the similarity is improper 30 years after Taiwan’s transition to democracy, as it represents only a portion of Taiwanese.
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said that while he agreed the emblems are similar, which could cause confusion, changing the national emblem would be contentious.
Lawmakers must proceed prudently, slowly and only after collecting feedback, Li said.
“Taiwan’s passports were recently redesigned, and the new design incorporates the national emblem,” he said, adding that changing it would mean paying to replace everything bearing the current emblem.
The KMT Central Standing Committee in 1928 passed a bill to make the anthem, emblem and flag of the KMT those of the Republic of China (ROC), and in so doing passed the National Emblem and National Flag of the Republic of China Act (中華民國國徽國旗法).
The KMT and national emblems portray a white sun over a blue background, but in the KMT emblem, the sun is larger and its 12 rays touch the outer edge of the blue circle that encompasses them.
The national emblem is used on uniforms and documents used by the military, on documents used by government agencies, on the country’s passport and on the flag used by the nation’s Olympic teams.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that the issue of the emblems’ similarity had already been addressed.
“The national emblem is described in the National Emblem and National Flag of the Republic of China Act, and it was defined after the KMT’s emblem,” he said.
Former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that the resolution was an act of “Taiwanese independence.”
“Could the pan-green camp stop putting on an act? If they change the national emblem, the next thing they change will be the national flag and then the country’s name,” Chu said.
“If they want to engage in independence activities, they should just clearly say so,” he said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun and CNA
A domestically developed “suicide drone,” also known as a loitering munition, would be tested and evaluated in July, and could enter mass production next year, Taiwan’s weapons developer said on Wednesday. The yet-to-be-named drone was among nine drone models unveiled by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on Tuesday. The drone has been dubbed the “Taiwanese switchblade” by Chinese-language media, due to its similarity to the US-made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which has been used by Ukraine in counterattacks during Russia’s invasion. It has a range of more than 10km, a flight time of more than 15 minutes, and an electro-optical
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number