Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ma's blind spots risk Taiwan's well-being

Thursday, 02 September 2010 07:44 Taiwan News Editorial

In an exclusive interview with the vernacular China Times, President Ma Ying-jeou revealed numerous blind spots that expose the risks that the China-centric policies of his rightist Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) government pose for Taiwan's future well-being.

The prime point of the president's lengthly discourse was that his policies of cross-strait reconciliation with the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party-ruled People's Republic of China were generating "peace dividends" for Taiwan, including an inflow of 1.5 million Chinese tourists and the signing of the controversial "Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement" and other pacts with the PRC and will pave the way for the realization of his China policy goals of "peace and prosperity."

Chen’s office asks public for small donations

Thursday, 02 September 2010 07:39 Taipei Times

The office of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday announced belt-tightening measures and asked for public donations to sustain its daily operations until February after a recent amendment revoked Chen’s perks as a former head of state.

Chen Sung-shan (陳淞山), manager of Chen’s office, said it would continue to operate despite the financial difficulty. To sustain the NT$540,000 (US$16,800) monthly expenses, he said the office would implement austerity measures to cut costs.

Flowers are no match for a typhoon

Wednesday, 01 September 2010 10:05 Taipei Times Editorial

Taiwan is no stranger to extreme weather. The 2001 typhoon season, which lasted from about May to December, comes to mind. That was the year Typhoon Nari did a U-turn as it headed toward Okinawa, parked over open water to gain strength and finally inundated Taiwan as it slowly drifted southward. It was the seventh of nine typhoons to hit Taiwan that year, striking just two months after Typhoon Toraji caused flash floods in Hualien, Taitung and Nantou counties that killed more than 200 people and caused nearly NT$7.7 billion (US$240.2 million) in agricultural and infrastructure damage.

Key IT firm may be China-owned

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 08:32 Taipei Times

An information technology company that provides key systems software for much of the country’s financial institutions is alleged to have been bought by a major China-based investor, an opposition legislator said.

The purchase has raised questions among Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers on just how much of Taiwan’s sensitive financial data may have flown across the Taiwan Strait to Chinese companies.

An unfortunate tale of two mayors

Monday, 30 August 2010 10:58 Taipei Times Editorial

Something smells in Taipei — and it’s not the 25 million flowers and plants purchased to decorate the city for the upcoming flora expo. Rather, it is Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) scrambling to explain why the city paid 30 times market price for the greenery to a contractor with ties to his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration. In recent days, investigators have also uncovered what appears to be the overpricing of building materials. It is ironic that Hau initiated the multi-billion-dollar project to boost his re-election bid in November.

Hau admits crisis of overpriced flowers

Monday, 30 August 2010 10:51 Taipei Times

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) admitted yesterday that problems with procurement contracts handled by the city government have dampened his popularity and clouded his bid for a second term in the year-end election.

“It is without a doubt a crisis,” said Hau of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), adding that he has briefed President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) — who doubles as the KMT chairman — and KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) on the ins and outs of the matter.

Overpass review reveals overpricing

Sunday, 29 August 2010 07:59 Taipei Times

A closer look at more than 500 purchase plans from the Xinsheng Overpass construction project found that besides the flowers and plants, the contractor also overcharged at least seven other purchase plans, the Taipei City Government said yesterday, promising to check the project’s budget thoroughly.

The city government revealed the latest findings on the project after Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday presided over the first meeting of a task force formed on Friday to investigate if any corruption was involved in the purchase plans for the overpass and the Taipei International Flora Exposition.

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