Donations to disaster relief funds for people affected by Tuesday’s earthquake in Hualien have exceeded NT$600 million (US$20.42 million) as of press time last night.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co yesterday announced that its chairman, Terry Gou (郭台銘), and the company would donate NT$60 million each.
Formosa Plastics Group has donated NT$50 million.
Photo: CNA
The Lin Rung San Foundation of Culture and Social Welfare donated NT$30 million, while Union Bank of Taiwan donated NT$5 million.
Pegatron Corp chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) is to donate NT$30 million and he has asked Pegatron and its affiliated businesses to donate a combined NT$15 million.
The Financial Supervisory Commission announced that it would donate NT$20 million.
Fubon Financial Holding Co and its affiliate Taiwan Mobile Co donated a combined NT$15 million.
Taishin Financial Holdings Co, MediaTek Foundation, China Airlines, ASE Group, Compal Electronics Inc, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store Co and Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank have each donated NT$10 million.
E.Sun Financial Holding Co and China Development Financial Holding Corp have also teamed up with their affiliates to donate NT$10 million each.
Tainan’s Tiantan Tiangong Temple donated NT$2 million and thanked the public for its support after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck that city on Feb. 6, 2016.
More politicians have joined the list of donors, including New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who donated NT$1 million on behalf of his city team.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said he would donate one month’s salary after not responding on Wednesday to reporters’ questions about whether he would make a donation.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), Changhua Mayor Chiu Chien-fu (邱建富), Changhua County Commissioner Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) and Yunlin County Commissioner Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) have also donated one month’s salary.
Many entertainers have made donations, including band Mayday (五月天), which donated NT$5 million; Jay Chou (周杰倫), who donated NT$2 million; and Ella Chen (陳嘉樺) and Stephanie Hsiao (蕭薔), who each donated NT$1 million.
The illustrator Duncan, a Hualien native, donated NT$1 million.
Record label HIM International Music Inc also said its celebrities and employees would donate one day’s salary.
More agencies are also donating goods and supplies to assist earthquake relief efforts.
The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation donated 2,000 blankets, 2,000 scarves and chicken rice.
Taiwan Fertilizer Co donated 1,020 boxes of bottled water.
CPC Corp said it is to provide the Hualien County Government with free gasoline for its relief efforts.
Several hotels, including Lishin Hotel, Papago International Resort and East Coast Hotel, are also providing free accommodations to search-and-rescue workers and others affected by the earthquake.
Additional reporting by Chung Hung-liang and Lee Ching-hui
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS