Remembering Lee Teng-hui: Ex-aide praises Lee Teng-hui’s love for TaiwanBy Chen Yu-fu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerFormer president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) made great contributuons to Taiwan, including democratization, strengthening national sovereignty and enhancing people’s identity as Taiwanese, former Presidential Office secretary-general Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said on Thursday after Lee died in Taipei aged 97. When Chiang died the following year, then-vice president Lee succeeded him, becoming the first Taiwan-born president of the nation, as opposed to his predecessors who were born in China. “I, Lee Teng-hui, promise that I will not hold grudges against anybody while I am on this Earth. I will respond to public opinion and never stop working for my beloved Taiwan,” Huang quoted Lee as saying after he was elected. Lee’s efforts to deepen Taiwan’s democracy did not stop when he stepped down as president in 2000, as he went on to found the Lee Teng-hui Foundation and the Lee Teng-hui Academy, which aimed to cultivate more young people who identified with and loved Taiwan, Huang said.

Former president Lee Teng-hui dies‘HERO OF THE ERA’: President Tsai Ing-wen expressed deep sadness at Lee’s passing, and told the government to assist his family with all their needsBy Lin Hui-chin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerFormer president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) passed away at 7:24pm yesterday at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Former president Lee Teng-hui, who passes away at 97 in Taipei yesterday, is pictured on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1996. Former president Lee Teng-hui waves to a crowd outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on May 20, 2000, after Chen Shui-bian was sworn in as Taiwan’s next president. During his lifetime, Lee underwent 12 stent procedures, 11 for his heart and one for his vertebral artery — installed when he was 92 years old. Former president Lee Teng-hui, in wheelchair, greets guests at a fundraiser for his foundation in Taipei on Oct. 19 last year.

First ‘Made in Taiwan’ wind farm parts shippedBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterThe first batch of “Made in Taiwan” wind farm components was delivered to Kaohsiung Harbor on Wednesday to be installed at an offshore project in Yunlin County. The Yunlin offshore wind farm, developed and operated by Wpd, is slated to be completed next year and would be the first in Taiwan to use locally sourced components, a joint statement by the firms said. “Made in Taiwan” wind farm components, to be installed at an offshore wind farm project in Yunlin County, are pictured at Kaohsiung Harbor on Wednesday. “With our expertise and experience, we are confident that CTCI Machinery can help Taiwan achieve its energy diversification goals through offshore wind farms,” he said. Once completed, the Yunlin offshore wind farm would be the largest single offshore wind farm project in the Asia-Pacific region, providing power for up to 640,000 households in Taiwan annually, the statement said.

Delta Electronics registers record-high gross marginBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterDelta Electronics Co (台達電), the nation’s leading power and thermal solutions provider, yesterday said that gross margin last quarter hit a record high, as the company benefited from the work from home and remote learning trends. Investor relations officer Rodney Liu (劉致遠) credited the record gross margin of 32.9 percent to Delta’s superior product offerings. That compared with a gross margin of 26.48 percent in the first quarter and 26.99 percent in the same period last year. Delta’s operations are composed of: power electronics, including embedded power supplies, components and thermal management solutions; automation, mainly industrial automation services; and infrastructure, covering information infrastructure, energy infrastructure and industrial solutions. Revenue from power electronics and automation increased 4 percent and 6 percent respectively from a year earlier, while that from infrastructure dropped 18 percent, it said.

Far Eastern Air Transport’s Chang Kang-wei chargedBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterTaipei prosecutors yesterday charged Far Eastern Air Transport Corp (FAT, 遠東航空) chairman Chang Kang-wei (張綱維) with fraud after he allegedly embezzled NT$3.59 billion (US$121.61 million). Far Eastern Air Transport chairman Chang Kang-wei, center, is prosecuted by Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday. Investigators said that Chang, when Huafu Enterprise began to post losses in 2011, took out NT$840 million in loans from the Bank of Taiwan (臺灣銀行), Mega Commercial Bank (兆豐銀行) and Far Eastern International Bank (遠東商銀). Chang allegedly defrauded the banks by doctoring financial reports, and promising to restructure FAT and his other subsidiaries, investigators said. Liao and Hwang allegedly ordered associate managers Chen Shih-chin (陳世卿) and Lin Wen-li (林文理) to approve the loan for FAT, they said.

MOF approves Jason Liao’s resignationMISCONDUCT? Deputy Minister of Finance Frank Juan (阮清華) told reporters that the ministry respected Liao’s wish to separate his legal suits from First Financial’s operation. First Financial Holding Co chairman Jason Liao speaks at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee on Dec. 16 last year. Far Eastern Air reportedly fabricated its financial standing to qualify for the loans that became toxic assets to Taiwan Cooperative Bank, prosecutors said. Taiwan Cooperative Bank, the nation’s largest lender by number of branches, issued a brief statement, saying that all officials involved in handling the 2009 loan application complied with proper procedures.

NCC must be tough on CTi News, New Power Party saysBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe National Communications Commission (NCC) should be tough when it reviews a license renewal application by CTi News, the New Power Party (NPP) told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Five new commissioners are to take office on Monday next week, including NCC Acting Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥), who is to be chairman. The commission said that it has received a CTi News license renewal application, which the channel is required to file at least six months before the license expires. Members of the New Power Party (NPP) caucus, including NPP caucus whip Chiu Hsien-chih, second left, and NPP Chairman Hsu Yung-ming, second right, attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday. We hope that the new commissioners would do better than their predecessors in being tough when reviewing the application,” he said.

Lee Teng-hui in dire condition: hospital sourceRECEIVING TREATMENT: President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President William Lai and Premier Su Tseng-chang visited former president Lee Teng-hui yesterday morningStaff writer, with CNATaipei Veterans General Hospital yesterday rebutted speculation that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had died a day earlier, saying that he was weak, but receiving treatment. Reporters and camera operators in the main hall of Taipei Veterans General Hospital yesterday wait for news about former president Lee Teng-hui, who has been receiving care at the hospital since Feb. 8. Lee was admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Feb. 8 after choking while drinking milk. The hospital has been tight-lipped about Lee’s condition, but speculation has been rife that his health has deteriorated over the past few months. Lee’s condition has become more unstable recently, the source said, adding that medical personnel are providing the care necessary to keep his condition in check.

Virus Outbreak: Border controls to stay for now, CECC saysWORSENING: The CECC head acknowledged a ‘tidal wave’ of COVID-19 infections affecting nearby countries, urging Taiwanese to practice protective measuresBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said that it would not ease border restrictions in the short term, as the COVID-19 pandemic is still in a dangerous situation globally, reiterating that mass testing is not necessary in Taiwan at this time. Taoyuan City Government officials yesterday attend a meeting to discuss Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation and disease control strategies. More than 300 imported cases were reported in Taiwan from the middle of March to early April, but the global COVID-19 situation has worsened since then, so it is inevitable to have some imported, he said. The CECC would not ease border restrictions in the near term, and would continue to observe the global situation, Chen said, adding that although local communities in Taiwan are relatively safe, everyone should still practice personal protective measures to reduce the risk of local infections to a minimum. “The migrant worker tested ‘weak-positive’ for COVID-19, so we have contacted the Thai authority to ask if it would conduct a second test for clarification,” he said.

Ministry scraps global video platformDIGITAL PLAN: The NPP said the Ministry of Culture must explain the controversy surrounding the platform and what it plans to do with the budget allocated for itBy Sherry Hsiao and Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporters, with CNAThe Ministry of Culture yesterday scrapped the Public Television Service’s (PTS, 公視) “international video platform” after it sparked controversy following reports that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) tried to use the platform as a mouthpiece and interfere with its personnel plans. However, the ministry said that to prevent the controversy from spreading, it has terminated the international video platform commission following a careful and comprehensive assessment. She saw a detailed version of the international video platform plan at an extraordinary board meeting on Monday, Hsu said. The ministry has terminated the application for the case, it said, calling for rational discussion among various groups on how an international video platform could be planned. The government is obligated to tell lawmakers what it plans to do with the NT$5.8 billion (US$196.6 million) budget that had been earmarked for the platform, Hsu said.

New company to promote local content worldwideBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Creative Content Agency and CatchPlay yesterday announced that they have invested a total of NT$200 million (US$6.78 million) in a new company, Screenworks, to promote original Taiwanese television and film content to an international audience. CatchPlay is one of the teams behind such original Taiwanese content as The World Between Us (我們與惡的距離) and The Making of an Ordinary Woman (俗女養成記). Actors Bamboo Chen, left, and Sara Yu pose for photographers in Taipei yesterday at a news conference held by Taiwan Creative Content Agency and CatchPlay to announce the launch of a new company called Screenworks. CatchPlay has also worked to bring high-quality international content to Taiwanese audiences, CatchPlay Group chief executive officer Daphne Yang (楊麗貞) said. Now is the time for it to use its experience in the international market to bring high-quality original Taiwanese works to the world, Yang added.

Chen Chu likely to focus on Human Rights CommitteeBy Hsieh Chun-lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerFormer Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Chu (陳菊) would likely focus her energy on running the new National Human Rights Committee when she takes over as Control Yuan president, another incoming member of the government watchdog said. The legislature on Dec. 10 last year passed the Organic Act of the National Human Rights Committee (國家人權委員會組織法), paving the way for the establishment of a 10-member committee. However, a Control Yuan member, or a member of the National Human Rights Committee’s standing committee can propose an issue that would be debated and rigorously reviewed before the rights committee decides to accept the case. The Human Rights Committee is to have 10 members, including the Control Yuan president. The terms of the current Control Yuan members end on Friday, with the new members to assume their posts the following day.

KMT to propose constitutional amendments: ChiangBy Shih Hsiao-kuang / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) plans to propose constitutional amendments to require the president to give an annual state of the nation address to the Legislative Yuan and for the appointment of the premier to be approved by lawmakers, while working with other parties to ensure that the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan can operate independently, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang speaks during the weekly meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee at KMT headquarters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesAbout 52 percent said incoming Control Yuan president Chen Chu (陳菊) would not represent the people, he added. “The basis for our discussions about the constitutional amendments should be to defend our democracy and crack down on the abuse of human rights,” Chiang said. “She should avoid turning Taiwan into a bargaining chip between the two countries — or an abandoned child,” the KMT chairman added.

“The Ministry of Culture signed an agreement for CTS to produce its television programs with the NT$96 million subsidy. The agreement stated that CTS must invite bid by open tender, but it did not do so,” Lin said. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times“Instead, CTS gave production projects directly to five outside companies, which received a total of NT$87 million, or 91 percent of the ministry’s subsidy,” Lin said. We demand an investigation by the government ethics office, since CTS had deviated from the procedures the culture ministry stipulated in the agreement,” Lee said. “Therefore the ministry helped to obtain the funding, and abided by the professionalism and programming production of works under taken by CTS.

Chinese boat crew facing chargesBy Huang Chia-lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerEighteen Chinese fishers were yesterday charged with allegedly catching eel in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) last week after they were apprehended by a joint Coast Guard Administration and Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office task force. A Hainan-registered Chinese fishing boat is caught allegedly fishing illegally in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands) on Friday last week. Eels found after a Hainan-registered Chinese boat was caught allegedly fishing illegally in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands) on Friday last week are pictured. The coast guard said that its ships are patrolling near the Pratas Islands throughout the day to safeguard the rights of the Taiwanese fisheries industry. The coast guard said that its actions would also go a long way toward ensuring the sustainable development of local marine resources.