← EDUCATION
Dictionary wins praise
The online Mandarin Chinese dictionary compiled by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education is a powerful tool for foreign students learning Chinese, a senior Belgian journalist said on Thursday. Catherine Vuylsteke, the Asian page editor of the Belgian daily De Morgen, is now studying Chinese at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University. Vuylsteke expressed her appreciation of the dictionary in an e-mail to the Taipei Representative Office in Belgium. The dictionary contains nearly 170,000 entries and has become the biggest Chinese dictionary data bank in the world, according to ministry officials. The dictionary allows input using the Zhuyin Fuhao (注音符號, commonly known as “bopomofo”) system, and provides definitions in Chinese. The dictionary can be found online at dict.revised.moe.edu.tw.
■ AGRICULTURE
Chinese buy produce
A group of buyers from China agreed yesterday to purchase NT$10 million (US$313,000) worth of agricultural products from the Tsou-Ma-Lai Recreational Farm in Tainan County. The delegation, from Guangdong Province’s agricultural and fishing institutions, signed an agreement with the Tainan County Farmers’ Association to buy pineapples, guavas, sugar apples and other produce grown in the county. The agreement was signed at a trade fair that is being held as part of a Taiwan-Guangdong week of activities and was witnessed by Guangdong Provincial Governor Huang Huahua (黃華華) and Taiwan’s People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). Soong said he hoped that Guangdong buyers would continue to contribute to bilateral industrial and agricultural cooperation.
■EDUCATION
Students mull legal action
An association of Taiwanese students studying in China threatened yesterday to take legal action against a newly approved package of legal amendments that restrict the recognition of medical diplomas conferred by schools in China. Chen Cheng-teng (陳正騰), deputy head of the Taiwan Student Union said the restrictions would prevent Taiwanese graduates of Chinese medical colleges from working in Taiwan in the future. “Such a restriction seriously infringes upon their legitimate rights as Republic of China citizens to work,” Chen said. “Our association will retain a lawyer to file for a constitutional interpretation of the restriction from the Justices of the Constitutional Court.” He added his group will also file an administrative lawsuit against newly passed regulations that ban retroactive recognition of accreditation by 41 selected Chinese colleges and universities.
■POLITICS
Su starts donation drive
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate, Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), started a donation drive for his election campaign yesterday. “Small donations represent the voters’ support, and we will make sure each donation is used in election campaigns,” Su said. He also pledged to run a different election campaign by not putting campaign flags around the city, not soliciting votes by phone and not writing any rubber checks during the campaign. He said he was confident of grabbing at least 800,000 votes. “There are over two million votes in Taipei City, and my goal is to get 800,000 votes in the election,” he said. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who is seeking re-election, shrugged off Su’s comments. “I am confident about winning the election and receiving more votes than Su. That’s my estimation,” he said.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
DEFENDING FREEDOM: Taiwanese love peace and helping others, and hope to be a positive force in the world, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim told ‘Weltspiegel’ Taiwan is making every effort to prevent war in the face of China’s hybrid coercion tactics and military threats, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD’s program Weltspiegel that aired on Monday. Taiwan is not seeking provocation or intending to disrupt international order, but “must possess the capacity for self-defense,” a news release issued by the Presidential Office yesterday quoted her as saying. Taiwan is closely watching not only the increasing scope and frequency of Chinese military exercises around the nation, but also Beijing’s hybrid and cognitive warfare tactics, including manipulating public opinion, fostering
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