Attempts to rename roads named “Jhongjheng” (中正) would have to follow regulations around transitional justice and a 2023 Legislative Yuan resolution, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today.
The ministry has researched renaming roads named Jhongjheng (also known as Zhongzheng in Hanyu pinyin) as well as drafted potential policy proposals, Liu said.
“Jhongjheng” is the adopted name of former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
The proposal has led to criticism from opposition parties, which say the government is claiming to have no money, but has the funds to subsidize renaming streets.
The subsidy for renaming cases or moving statues is capped at NT$100,000, Liu said, adding that neither the central nor local governments should view transitional justice through the lens of money.
The ministry has handled renaming cases in accordance with the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例) and a 2023 Legislative Yuan resolution requiring the ministry to consult local governments, Liu said.
When there are disagreements or issues in promoting transitional justice, experts and academics suggest that it should be handled “from the bottom up” with a focus on local autonomy, Liu said.
This is how the ministry handles any issues, she added.
As for the budget, each case the ministry handled in the last two or three years was capped at NT$100,000, Liu said.
Hundreds of cases have been subsidized under the current policy, Liu added.
Transitional justice is a human rights issue and must be taken seriously, she said.
The government cannot pretend to only look at transitional justice when there is money to do so, as that attitude does not reflect Taiwan’s democracy and rule of law, Liu said.
As for whether “Jingguo” (經國) roads, named after Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), would be renamed, Liu said that while the law allows for them to be renamed, it can only proceed when there is consensus between the central government, local officials and residents.
Taiwan’s values of freedom, democracy and rule of law require that procedural justice be respected when promoting transitional justice, Liu added.
A 2021 survey conducted by the ministry found 316 roads named “Jhongjheng” and 11 named “Jingguo.”
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
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 Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
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