The National Science Council's (NSC) proposed budget for purchasing land to build a bio-medical technology park has been turned down by opposition legislators, who say the high purchase price would be a waste of taxpayers' money.
The planned biomedical technology park covers 38.3 hectares of land in Chupei (
At the Legislature yesterday, the NSC proposed a purchase price of NT$ 4.45 billion for the land to build the park. The proposal was immediately slammed by legislators who took exception to the land's high unit price -- NT$70,000 for each ping (坪).
A ping is about 3.34m2 or about the size of two tatami mats.
According to KMT lawmaker Liu Cheng-hung (
Liu said that a comprehensive investigation needed to be carried out to clarify the controversial point about the high price, which was offered by the land owner, the governement's own Bureau of Taiwan High Speed Rail (
"We have to know how the bureau purchased the land," Liu said.
Some legislators said the NSC should consider purchasing cheaper land somewhere else. "Why don't you propose building the park in remote coastal areas near the Changpin Industrial Park (
Some legislators said that the NSC lacks the capability to integrate resources pertaining to bio-tech R&D and related industries.
The planned function of the biomedical technology park would be similar to that of the National Health Research Institute nearby.
According to NSC Chairman Wei Che-ho (魏哲和), the proposed park is one of the essential parts for the Cabinet's "Challenge 2008" six-year development plan. Wei said that building a world-class bio-medical research center would boost related industries in Taiwan.
In addition, Wei said, industries at the proposed park could further interact with other related industries in the nearby Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as