DIPLOMACY
Office marks Gandhi’s birthday
The India-Taipei Association yesterday posted a clip on Facebook to celebrate the birthday of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Association director-general Gourangalal Das narrated the clip in Mandarin, calling on people in India, Taiwan and around the world to “protect the world and our beautiful home with peace, democracy and freedom.” Gandhi’s Oct. 2 birthday has been declared the “International Day of Non-violence” by the UN, Das said, adding that Gandhi’s philosophy is “the asset of all mankind.” India has become the world’s biggest exporter of rice, biggest producer of medicine and the biggest supplier of software, he said. However, people must not forget Gandhi’s aspiration and should put others before themselves to create a sustainable and prosperous world, he added. The association handles bilateral exchanges in the absence of diplomatic ties between Taipei and New Delhi.
SOCIETY
Expo to be held in US
The Taiwan Expo USA is to take place from Wednesday to Friday next week at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, the event’s organizers said on Thursday. The expo is to showcase Taiwan’s technological strength and rich culture, they said. It would be the first time that a Taiwan Expo would be held in the US, they added. Eighty-three Taiwanese firms would showcase their leading technologies, products and solutions, said James Huang (黃志芳), chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which is cohosting the event with the Bureau of Foreign Trade. The expo would include 10 themed pavilions covering products and services in several segments including 5G, smart city, smart vehicles, smart healthcare, aerospace technology, and Taiwanese culture and food, TAITRA said. A series of forums would also be held, while former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and former Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠) would deliver speeches, it said. The Taiwanese culture pavilion would showcase the nation’s temple culture, said the General Association of Chinese Culture, which is to host the pavilion.
FOREIGN AID
Computers donated to Turkey
The government has donated 42 computers to two schools in the Turkish capital’s Sincan District in an effort to contribute to the development of education in Turkey, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Mission in Ankara said. The computers were formally handed over on Friday by mission Director Volkan Huang Chih-yang (黃志揚), the mission said in a statement on Saturday. Huang said Taiwan has contributed to several other educational projects in Turkey, including the construction of schools and community centers, to help the development of education in the country.
CULTURE
Poet wins Equador Prize
Hakka doctor and poet Tzeng Kuei-hai (曾貴海) has won the Equador Prize for international poetry at the Guayaquil Ileana Espinel Cedeno International Festival of Poetry, the Council of Hakka Affairs said on Saturday. The 76-year-old has written 23 books spanning the genres of poetry, essay, social commentary and lyrics, the council said. Tzeng is known for his advocacy of democracy, human rights, cultural conservation and environmental issues. The council has translated his works into English and Spanish under a program to introduce the nation’s Hakka writers to an international audience, it said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
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