The government plans to invest NT$30 billion (US$972.4 million) to support the development of the electric-bus industry to help achieve its goal of having an all-electric bus fleet by 2030, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Huang Yu-lin (黃玉霖) told an industry forum on Tuesday.
Huang did not say how the funds would be channeled.
The government hopes that international companies will partner with Taiwanese firms to overcome technical obstacles to the development of the electric-vehicle market, such as extending electric vehicles’ battery life, he said.
Huang was speaking at the International New Energy Vehicle Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, the ministry, the Industrial Development Bureau, the Environmental Protection Administration and the European Economic and Trade Office.
Developing intelligent transportation systems is one of the government’s major policies, along with promoting the development of e-buses as well as electric scooters and motorcycles, bureau Secretary-General Chen Pei-li (陳佩利) said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs would continue helping automotive and spare parts makers collaborate with companies in the telecommunications, electronics manufacturing and mobile services sectors to create more innovative business models, Chen said.
It would also help automotive and spare part manufacturers transform and upgrade their operations to implement automation, Chen added.
In other news, the Danhai Light Rail Transit system is commemorating the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Tamsui, a major battle in the Sino-French War, with a history-themed train and collectible one-day passes, available from today.
A total of 1,884 limited-edition sets containing an embossed one-day pass and commemorative postcard are to go on sale for NT$99 at Hongshulin Station and on New Taipei Metro Corp’s Web site, the company said.
People who buy the pass would be granted free entry to an event at the station, where they can dress up in Qing-era clothing and have their photographs taken during the Double Ten National Holiday long weekend, the company said.
A light-rail train featuring illustrations of the battle is to operate through the end of this month, it added.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
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