Dragged into a controversy over the identity of the Republic of China’s (ROC) capital, Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) yesterday said that Taipei is the nation’s capital because it is the seat of the central government.
Lee was asked about the issue at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee after a Ministry of Education document sent to schools on Monday identified Nanjing, China, as the capital of the ROC. The document “reminded” elementary and high school administrators that the capital is Nanjing, in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Responding to a question by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), Lee said the ROC Constitution does not specify the location of the capital. The capital is where the central government is located, he said.
“Since Taipei is the seat of our central government, it is our nation’s capital,” he said.
Nanjing was established as the ROC capital in 1927. In 1937, the KMT government moved from Nanjing to Chongqing because of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Nanjing became the capital again in 1946. The KMT government relocated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War.
Lee said the government issued a decree in 1949 proclaiming Taipei the new seat of government.
K-12 Education Administration Division head Chiu Chien-kuo (邱乾國) apologized for the error on Tuesday, saying the ministry should have explained its stance more clearly.
Chiu said the document was meant to be a reminder to schools about the maps they buy.
It said Taipei should be marked as the capital of the ROC with an explanation saying the city is the seat of the central government, because according to the Constitution, Nanjing is the ROC’s capital.
“Previously, some teaching material suppliers used the same color to identify Taiwan and China on their maps or globes. We issued the document to ask school administrators to remind their textbook suppliers not to repeat the mistake,” Chiu said.
Chiu said he was willing to take responsibility for the error.
SEND A MESSAGE: Sinking the amphibious assault ship, the lead warship of its class, is meant to show China the US Navy is capable of sinking their ships, an analyst said The US and allied navies plan to sink a 40,000-tonne ship at the latest Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise to simulate defeating a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan. This year’s RIMPAC — the 29th iteration of the world’s largest naval exercise — involves the US, 28 partners, more than 25,000 personnel, 40 warships, three submarines and more than 150 aircraft operating in and around Hawaii from yesterday to Aug. 1, the US Navy said in a press release. The major components of the event include multidomain warfare exercises in multiship surface engagements, anti-submarine warfare and multi-axis defense of a carrier strike
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
The airspace around Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) is to be closed for an hour on July 25 and July 23 respectively, due to the Han Kuang military exercises, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The annual exercise is to be held on Taiwan proper and its outlying islands from July 22 to 26. During last year’s exercise, the military conducted anti-aircraft landing drills at the Taoyuan airport for the first time, for which a one-hour no-fly ban was issued. Based on a live-fire bulletin sent out by the Maritime and Port Bureau, the nation’s
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of