Dismissing China's Minister of Communications Zhang Chun-xian's (
"Before technicians are able to overcome the technical difficulties and potential hazards of construction [for the project], the proposal is simply impractical," Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (
"If the Chinese government really wants to contribute and do something good for the relationship between Beijing and Taipei, we hope it will be something more practical than this," he said.
Zhang announced yesterday that China will construct seven highways around Beijing as well as nine north-south and 18 east-west highways right across the country.
The highway network will be nicknamed "7918 net" based on this distribution of carriageways. The highway to Taipei is also connected to the "7918 net."
"The idea behind building the highway network as well as a highway to Taipei is to increase the communication, in terms of traffic and the economy, within the country," Zhang said.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications responded to the grand plan with a "no comment" yesterday.
When first asked whether the ministry would comment on the plan, Vice Minister Tsai Duei (
"I read it in the evening newspaper. But I can't comment on anything at the moment because I really doubt the reliability of the story," Tsai said.
If the highway is built, technicians will face the challenge of building a tunnel between Taiwan and Fujian 130km in length.
Currently, the longest underwater tunnel in the world is the Aomori Hakodate Tunnel in Japan, which is almost 54km in length.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
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