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.
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
CASE: Prosecutors have requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants’ role in ‘undermining the country’s democratic foundations’ Five people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), including senior staff from the party’s Taipei branch, were indicted yesterday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. Those indicted include KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿) and secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release. Prosecutors said the three were responsible for fabricating 5,211 signature forms — 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) and 2,674 for DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — with forged entries accounting for
RSS