Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) yesterday suggested that the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC) expand its services to include expatriates from the People’s Republic of China.
Wang made the remarks during a speech before 180 board members of the OCAC, who returned to the country to attend its annual conference in Taipei.
“It doesn’t matter whether they are expatriates from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong or Macau, they should be regarded as a unit. Given the increasing number of Chinese expatriates, if you restricted your services to Taiwanese expatriates, I believe there wouldn’t be much left for you to do,” Wang said.
Wang said that Taiwan could win over Chinese expatriates by extending good services and showing them care, adding that the OCAC should focus more on love than the issue of unification versus independence.
“Under the leadership of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), we have seen a significant improvement in cross-strait relationships. If it continues to develop, the Nobel Peace Prize will one day be awarded to the people of the Republic of China,” Wang said.
Wang said love was the basis for Ma’s cross-strait policy and the starting point from which to develop cross-strait peace.
All political leaders and OCAC board members should work to bring better lives to people on both sides of the Strait, Wang told the audience, adding that: “Taiwan will succeed when it becomes an island of love.”
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3