Taiwan has responded to Tuesday's earthquake with an avalanche of aid to help the needy in disaster areas, especially the hardest hit areas of Taichung and Nantou counties.
In addition, condolences and aid have poured in from all over the world.
Madame Chiang Kai-shek (宋美齡), widow of the late ROC President Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), yesterday instructed the New York chapter of the ROC Women's Association she heads to donate NT$100 million (US$31,446), and called for assistance efforts from Taiwan's 57 branches.
Despite the tension across the Taiwan Strait, China's Taiwan Studies Graduate School of the China Sociology College donated RMB46,880 (NT$180,000) via the Red Cross Society of the People's Republic of China.
Overseas Chinese have also rendered help. US$100,000 was collected within 24 hours from the Taiwanese community living in southern California and the amount is rising. The Southern California Computer Association yesterday morning donated US$60,000 and the KMT's West Coast office donated US$1,000 in an attempt to encourage more donations from the US.
Taiwanese business communities in the Philippines have also initiated a donation campaign.
Local assistance was also abundant, even from areas hit hardest by the quake.
Taichung County Commissioner Liao Yung-lai (
The county has set up a special account accessible to all those wishing to make a monetary contribution. The name of the account is Taichung County Government 921 Earthquake Disaster Relief Account (
Liao also called for the contribution of non-financial aid including ice boxes, drinking water, food, blankets, tents and medical supplies.
Nantou County has also set up a special account for aid contributions at the Bank of Taiwan's Nantou branch. The account number is 0300088477. DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-lang (
Elsewhere on the island, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
He also urged city government employees to donate one day's salary to further assist.
In addition, he instructed the city's Bureau of Public Health to mobilize city hospital medical equipment and professionals to offer the necessary assistance as soon as possible. Meanwhile, relief materials gathered from city residents will be delivered to the disaster areas.
The KMT, meanwhile, has donated NT$200 million and set up a disaster relief account. Those who wish to help can send their money to the KMT 921 earthquake special account (
So many donations have been made, in fact, that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has set up a service center to manage them. The MOI also encouraged the public to wire their donations to the Central Bank Treasury Department account (中央銀行國庫局內政部保管款), No 051043; or MOI 921 disaster relief special account (內政部九一二賑災專戶), No 19389716; or to send cheques to 5 Hsuchou Rd, Taipei, MOI Social Affairs Department 921 disaster relief special account (內政部社會司九二一賑災專戶).
So far the MOI has received many donations from private sector organizations including the Astek Computer Inc (
President Enterprises Corp (
Hsinchu County Commissioner Lin Kuang-hua (
Tainan County has donated NT$25 million and County Commissioner Mark Chen (
Those who wish to make donations can also do so at 7-Eleven stores or send their money to the Tzuchi Foundation account No. 0688779-1.
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SHOW OF SUPPORT: Taiwan has been one of the largest buyers of US defense equipment, supporting American businesses and jobs, US lawmakers said Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, a US Department of State official said on Wednesday, adding that purchases of military equipment are important to the US economy and for ensuring regional security. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked at a news conference about comments by former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, who said during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay Washington for its defense needs. “The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,”
Hsu Wen-erh (許汶而) on Friday became the first Taiwanese to swim solo across the English Channel, saying she was very happy to bring Taiwan to the world. Hsu completed the challenge in 12 hours, 17 minutes and eight seconds, after swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar in October last year. She said she had planned to swim the English Channel in August next year, but seized the opportunity when a vacancy became available on the waiting list. She went to the UK in May to train for a test that involves swimming for six hours at 16°C, which people who want to swim