Lienchiang County residents were not only surprised to find out that some 67,000 people had entered an online draw to be the county’s “commissioner for a day,” but were even more astonished to find out that the winner was an American.
As Josh Wenger, a New Yorker pursuing his doctoral degree at the National Taiwan University Graduate Institute of National Development in Taipei, entered the draw under his Chinese name Wen Chia-shu (溫賈舒), officials didn’t realize the winner was a foreigner, although the draw was open to anyone who was able to answer at least eight out of 10 questions about Matsu (馬祖).
Wenger visited Matsu yesterday, where he was greeted by Lienchiang County Commissioner Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生).
PHOTO: CNA
“Matsu is really beautiful, I hope I can be a special envoy to promote Matsu and attract more foreigners to visit,” Wenger said in fluent Mandarin while responding to a “question-and-answer” session at the county council.
Wenger also visited the county’s major sightseeing spots.
Lienchiang’s Project Planning Office said the contest winner was required to share his or her experiences of Matsu on the county’s Web site and blog to give people a better understanding of the changes and development on Matsu over the years.
The event, designed to promote Matsu at very limited cost, was declared a success and the county government will consider a similar activity next year, officials said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
PROXIMITY: Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location, the Executive Yuan official said Taiwan plans to boost cooperation with the Czech Republic in semiconductor development due to Prague’s pivotal role in the European IC industry, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said. With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) building a wafer fab in the German city of Dresden, a Germany-Czech Republic-Poland “silicon triangle” is forming, Kung said in a media interview on the weekend after returning from a visit to Prague. “Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location,” he said. “Taiwan and Prague have already launched direct flights and it is