President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday inspected the two eastern counties of Taitung and Hualien, both of which were hit hard by Typhoon Bilis last week.
Chen first inspected Taitung County's Tungho village, which is known for its fruit production.
Looking at so much fruit on the ground, Chen said somberly: "It's a heart-rending sight."
PHOTO: HUANG MING-TANG, LIBERTY TIMES
"I will ask relevant agricultural administration agencies to hand out disaster relief money to all farmers within a month to compensate them for their typhoon losses."
Noting that Taiwan was often hit by earthquakes and typhoons, Chen said local residents should not be daunted by such natural disasters and should adopt comprehensive precautions to minimize the possible damage.
Chen said reconstruction work should focus on basic living needs, such as restoring power and water.
Typhoon Bilis, the strongest storm to hit Asia so far this year, ripped through Taiwan on Tuesday night, leaving at least 11 people dead, several others missing and many private homes and public facilities destroyed or damaged.
adding up the losses
Initial tallies showed that agricultural losses in Taitung County alone were estimated at NT$1.2 billion (US$38.71 million).
Accompanied by Taitung County Commissioner Chen Chien-nien (
The Paishoulien breakwater, which was built decades ago to protect the coast from ocean waves, was damaged by strong winds. Chen ordered relevant government agencies to complete repair and rehabilitation work as soon as possible to ensure the safety of residents in the coastal region.
The president also inspected damaged roads, railway lines, farms, electricity and water supply facilities and collapsed houses in neighboring Hualien County.
Hualien County Commissioner Wang Ching-feng (
After listening to Wang's briefing, Chen directed Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) and Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Hsi-huang (陳希煌) to offer typhoon-affected regions all necessary assistance and subsidies.
Chen later toured a railway repair project in neighboring Kuangfu village (
Chen said government agencies would work hard to complete typhoon-related recovery work within a month.
Chen also expressed his sorrow for failing to be with his fellow countrymen when the typhoon hit the nation.
foreign tour cut short
When Bilis hit the island, Chen was on a state visit in the African country of Burkina Faso. After hearing details of the damage, Chen decided to cut short a visit to Chad, citing concerns that he was needed at home, and returned to Taiwan .
Chen praised government agencies for all of their preparations and efforts to minimize damage.
"Thanks to appropriate precautionary measures, we have managed to largely minimize typhoon-related damage," he said.
The president also expressed his gratitude for military servicemen, police and fire-fighting officers for their contribution to emergency rescue and relief operations.
Shortly after arriving on Friday, Chen boarded another jet and flew to the central county of Nantou where a mudslide killed eight people during the storm.
Chen made three phone calls to Premier Tang Fei (
Chen also called Vice President Annette Lu (
Chen expressed his frustration over being criticized for "putting on a show" by ending his foreign tour one day earlier than originally scheduled and then returning to Taiwan to tour disaster areas immediately.
"It's really hard to be the president," Chen said.
"I fought for Taiwan's diplomacy in the international community and even ended my visit earlier to be with my people," Chen said. "However, I saw that the newspapers criticized my action as `nothing but showing off,' and at each place I went to inspect there was somebody or other complaining about me."
The president said he did not take a single day's rest during the 13-day foreign visit and domestic tour of typhoon-damaged areas.
"I know that people have high demands of me," Chen said, "but I have to beg people to understand that I cannot please all the people all of the time."
STILL COMMITTED: The US opposes any forced change to the ‘status quo’ in the Strait, but also does not seek conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump’s administration released US$5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including US$870 million in security exemptions for programs in Taiwan, a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters showed. Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, halting funding for everything from programs that fight starvation and deadly diseases to providing shelters for millions of displaced people across the globe. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must align with Trump’s “America First” priorities, issued waivers late last month on military aid to Israel and Egypt, the
France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and accompanying warships were in the Philippines yesterday after holding combat drills with Philippine forces in the disputed South China Sea in a show of firepower that would likely antagonize China. The Charles de Gaulle on Friday docked at Subic Bay, a former US naval base northwest of Manila, for a break after more than two months of deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. The French carrier engaged with security allies for contingency readiness and to promote regional security, including with Philippine forces, navy ships and fighter jets. They held anti-submarine warfare drills and aerial combat training on Friday in
COMBAT READINESS: The military is reviewing weaponry, personnel resources, and mobilization and recovery forces to adjust defense strategies, the defense minister said The military has released a photograph of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) appearing to sit beside a US general during the annual Han Kuang military exercises on Friday last week in a historic first. In the photo, Koo, who was presiding over the drills with high-level officers, appears to be sitting next to US Marine Corps Major General Jay Bargeron, the director of strategic planning and policy of the US Indo-Pacific Command, although only Bargeron’s name tag is visible in the seat as “J5 Maj General.” It is the first time the military has released a photo of an active
CHANGE OF MIND: The Chinese crew at first showed a willingness to cooperate, but later regretted that when the ship arrived at the port and refused to enter Togolese Republic-registered Chinese freighter Hong Tai (宏泰號) and its crew have been detained on suspicion of deliberately damaging a submarine cable connecting Taiwan proper and Penghu County, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement yesterday. The case would be subject to a “national security-level investigation” by the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, it added. The administration said that it had been monitoring the ship since 7:10pm on Saturday when it appeared to be loitering in waters about 6 nautical miles (11km) northwest of Tainan’s Chiang Chun Fishing Port, adding that the ship’s location was about 0.5 nautical miles north of the No.
RSS