A group of officials led by Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday inspected a forest in the central part of the country that was devastated by a tropical storm early this month.
The premier made a helicopter inspection of an area of Danta Forestry Area in Nantou County, which was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Mindulle.
Upon returning to an airbase in Taichung, the premier said that he was saddened to see damage in the Danta Forestry area.
He attributed the damage to over-exploitation of natural resources as well as to the disaster.
He called for soil conservation and a resumption of Aboriginal people's role as the guardians of the forests and of animal habitats, as well as the promotion of ecotourism so that Aboriginal people will be able to protect their lands and support themselves.
The premier also issued several instructions, including one not to rebuild a bridge that was destroyed during flooding caused by the tropical storm; another to convert a forest road into a mountain trail for ecotourism purposes; and another to consider whether to include the forestry region within the boundaries of a national park.
The premier asked the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Council of Agriculture (COA) and other agencies to implement the instructions.
Accompanying the premier on the trip were Executive Yuan Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Council for Economic Planning and Development Vice Chairman Chang Chin-sheng (張景森), COA Vice Chairman Tai Cheng-yao (戴振耀) and Taiwan Forestry Bureau Vice Director Lee Tao-sheng (李桃生).
‘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