Taiwan yesterday planted its national flag in front of its first arctic research center in Longyearbyen, a town on Norway’s Spitsbergen Island, and also conducted a plaque unveiling ceremony to formalize that Taiwan’s arctic research group has a “place of their own.”
Minister Without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) yesterday thanked the Polish academics from Nicolaus Copernicus University who helped establish the research station.
“We thank the Polish scholars for creating opportunities for the Formosan black bears to meet the arctic polar bears,” he said.
Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Marine Research
The center and the international research project leading to its establishment demonstrate Taiwan’s resolve to participate observation of the North Pole, and is a milestone for Taiwanese researchers in the field, Chang said.
Chang commended the National Academy of Marine Research and National Central University for their vision and ambition.
International research collaborations such as this have helped plant Taiwan’s flag within the arctic circle, he said.
Academy president Chiu Yung-fang (邱永芳) said the academy has been working with Nicolaus Copernicus University since last year on research topics such as ice quakes, ice melting, ocean currents and changes in wave conditions in the Arctic Ocean.
Taiwan as a maritime nation and relying on sea trade can now receive first-hand information on climate change observed near the North Pole, Chiu said.
With the projected gradual loss of arctic ice sheets after 2035 and the possible opening of arctic sailing routes, Taiwan stands to gain much from knowledge collected in northern climes, Chiu added.
Taiwanese arctic researchers previously had to ask permission to use facilities of other nations and share laboratories, and with an independent station, Taiwan can better conduct research and share its results with the international community, Chiu said.
Using geophysical instruments and self-made maritime data buoys stamped with the national flag, Taiwan’s first autonomous probe into arctic glaciers, ice quakes, melting ice around the Fram Strait and other information last year has yielded excellent data, Chiu said.
Taiwan’s achievements have been noted by the international community, and its researchers have been invited to participate in the next Arctic Forum, he added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS