Former President C.K. Yen disclosed that librarians and computer scientists have developed a Chinese character coding system for information interchanges.
Describing the system as "an epochal accomplishment" in standardizing various versions of the Chinese characters, Yen said application of CCCII (Chinese Character Coding for Information Interchange) extends to the simplified characters used on the Chinese mainland and in Singapore and those found in Japan and Korea.
The CCCII team has coded over 30,000 characters and is expected to complete coding the entire Chinese vocabulary of 80,000 characters of all forms in a couple of years.
After that, the team will start coding the languages of China's ethnic minorities — Manchurian, Mongolian, Arabic and Tibetan — even Sanskrit.
Yen said development of CCCII involved the most exhaustive philological investigation of the Chinese language since early Christian times.
"The investigation covered all aspects of the Chinese characters — the forms as well as the phonetic and morphological components of the individual characters — with a view to achieving standardization for coding purpose," he said.
The study has yielded an important cultural spin-off — standardization of the characters.
"It means the elimination of the nightmares experienced by Chinese lexicographers and will greatly facilitate teaching of the characters," Yen told the International Workshop on Chinese library Automation.
Satellite weather photos received
Minister of Communication Lin Chin-sheng pushed a button to start operation of the Meteorological Satellite Ground Station in Taipei.
The NT$200 million station is one of the 10 largest stations in the world and one of two in Asia equipped for high resolution picture reception.
Weather men will be able to provide more accurate typhoon and other weather forecasting.
The station receives information from the TIROS-N, a U.S. third generation polar-orbiting satellite, and from GMS, a geostationary meteorological satellite of Japan.
One picture is received every 30 minutes from GMS and up to 200 daily from TIROS-N.
Increased spending on science urged
In 1979, the Republic of China spent NT$7.3 billion for the development of science and technology, K. T. Li, minister without portfolio, told the Central Standing Committee of the Kuomintang. This represented an increase of 58 per cent over 1978.
Even so, the 1979 expenditure represented only 0.63 per cent of the GNP. In the same year, the United States spent 2.18 per cent and Japan 1.7 per cent of the GNP for the same purpose, Li said.
Personnel engaged in developing science and technology made up only 0.14 per cent of the labor force in the Republic of China. In the United States the ratio was 0.2 per cent and in Japan 0.25 per cent.
Such statistics show that science and technology development is lagging in this country, Li said.
The Executive Yuan announced a development plan for science and technology on May 17, 1979. It set long-range, medium-range and short-range objectives intended to reduce reliance on imports.
Objectives include strengthening of the defense industry and development of new weapons systems, establishment of technology intensive industries, modernization of agriculture, promotion of the people's welfare, augmentation of medical research and protection of the environment.
University Club elects officers
The American University Club of the Republic of China elected directors, supervisors and officers for 1981.
George Y.L. Wu was reelected president and Charles T. Cross and Wego W.K. Chiang were named first and second vice presidents.
Newly elected directors are Wang Chang-ching, Robert C.T. Lee, Lee Teng-hui, George Y.L. Wu, Yu Kuo-hwa, Lien Chan, Ma Chi-chuang, Henry Y.S. Kao, Clement C.P. Chang, Philip C.C. Chang, Chen Li-an, Tsai Wei-ping, Y.S. Tsiang, Wego W.K. Chiang, Robert C. Chien, Fredrick F. Chien, Vivian Wu Yen, Nancy Yu Huang, Raymond C.F. Chen, Charles T. Cross, Thomas J, Donahue, Neil T. Donnelly, Marinus van Gessel, Robert P. Parker, Herbert Gale Peabody, Hope N. F. Philips and Douglas W. Taylor.
New supervisors are Soong Chang-chih, Shen Chang-huan, James Shen, Han Lih-wu, Chien Shih-liang, Yen Chen-hsing, James Reardon-Anderson, Carter Booth and Samuel S.H. Lee.
Committee chairpersons are Vivan Wu Yen, Wang Shao-yu, Yung Wei, Robert P. Parker, Raymond C.F. Chen, H. Gale Peabody, Paul H.C. Wang, Yen Shaio-chang and Robert C. Chien.
Fredrick F. Chien was elected honorary executive secretary and Ronald Ho honorary treasurer.
The club seeks to strengthen cultural and educational relations between the Republic of China and the United States.
Hilton names female manager
Julia Chan, executive assistant manager of Taipei Hilton, has been named manager by the Hilton International Company.
She is the first woman manager in the worldwide 79-property Hilton International organization.
Julia Chan took over following the transfer of James A. Smith, the former general manager, to the Toronto Hilton in Canada.
She joined the Hongkong Hilton in 1964 and was transferred to the newly opened Taipei Hilton in 1973. During 17 years she has filled important positions in the front office and the food and beverage departments. She was named Taipei executive assistant manager in 1978.
"The most important aspect of hotel management is to maintain quality service," she said. She wants to give the Taipei Hilton more of a Chinese flavor.
Born in Shanghai, Julia Chan was graduated from St. Mary's Canossian College in Hongkong. She twice attended the Career Development Institute of Hilton International at Montreal for specialized studies in food and beverage management and hotel administration.
Tourism shows modest increase
The Tourism Bureau said 122,717 visitors came in January, an increase of 2.8 per cent over January of 1980.
The bureau said 99,523 tourists were foreigners, an increase of 5.7 per cent over 1980. The number of overseas Chinese decreased by 8 per cent to 23,194.
A total of 1,393,254 people visited the Republic of China in 1980, surpassing the 1,340,382 of 1979 by 3.9 per cent.
Foreign exchange brought in by 1980 tourists amounted to about NT$990 million, 7.7 per cent above the NT$919 million of 1979.
An oversupply of rooms has flashed the red light for Taiwan hotel construction, according to Transportation and Tourism monthly. Last year's room occupancy ranged from 54.2 per cent for secondary establishments to 66.4 per cent for first-class hotels, the magazine said.
With the steady increase in rooms this year, the occupancy rate is expected to drop still lower.
Taiwan has 129 tourist hotels, including 35 first-class establishments. They have 18,615 rooms.
By the end of spring, 1,118 more rooms will have been added and another 3,306 will be ready before 1982. This means Taiwan will have 23,039 rooms of international standard by the end of the year.
But the number of visitors is expected to increase by only 5 per cent.
The Tourism Bureau has helped 36 hotels install VTR systems in hotel rooms.
VTR is used to show tapes on the nation's culture, fine arts, economic development, reconstruction projects, education, life of the people and scenic spots. Tapes have Chinese, English or Japanese sound tracks.
Hunan mutton dish wins Golden Wok
Li Chi-chuan topped 10 finalists to win the premier cup award for his Hunan roast mutton dish at the first Golden Wok Chinese cooking contest.
Li, 38, representing the Taipei Hilton Hotel, was adjudged the best chef by a panel of 10 judges headed by James Wei, senior adviser to the President.
The Golden Wok award was presented to Li by Tourism Bureau director Yu Wei. Grand Chef awards went to four cooks from Hongkong and Taiwan for outstanding dishes. Five other culinary experts were honored with the Meilleur Chef awards.
Li's roast included such ingredients as spring onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, red pepper, parsley, sesame oil, starch, lotus leaves and mutton.
Hongkong's Mak Moon-kuen, one of the four runners-up, presented a dish of sliced pigeon, red pepper, rice wine, asparagus, garlic and ginger.
The point system allowed 30 for color, 30 for flavor, 25 for taste and 15 for presentation.
99.71% of primary age group in school
Taiwan Provincial elementary school enrollment in the 1980-81 academic year increased to 99.71 per cent, up from 1979's 99.66 per cent.
Of the graduates of primary schools, about 95.64 per cent went on to junior high school compared with 94.95 per cent in the 1979 academic year.
Elementary school pupils de· creased from 1979's 1,806,927 to 1,784,455 and the number of junior high school students dropped from 1979's 863,261 to 859,642 as a result of lower birth rates,
Loans create 439 young businesses
The government granted more than NT$96 million in loans to youths to start their careers from July 1 to Dec, 31,1980, the National Youth Commission reported,
The loans went to 439 youths and were used to open a variety of businesses.
The ceiling on loans is being raised from NT$200,000 to NT$300,000. Up to eight persons may now apply for package loans, up from a previous maximum of six.
The government also helped 53,752 junior high school graduates obtain jobs and arranged vocational training for 7,979 others.
Jobs were found for 20,467 senior high school graduates, 17,267 college graduates and 375 scholars from overseas.
Passports, visas cost more
Application fees for passports and visas have been increased by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The new fees are: official passport, NT$400; ordinary pass· port, NT$500; visa on official passport, NT$120; visa on ordinary passport, NT$120; student or labor passport, NT$250; entry visa for alien, NT$600; visa for alien (sightseeing), NT$300 (A) or NT$360 (B); visa for aliens (transit), NT$220; travel certificate for stateless persons, NT$400; business visa, NT$360 (single entry), NT$720 (multiple); student visa, NT$600; visa for stateless persons, NT$120.
Radio guidance of youth cited
Ms, Lo Lan, whose real name is Chin Pei-fen, received an award from James Soong, director of the Government Information Office, for her contributions in helping young people overcome difficulties.
The presentation marked the 1,000th broadcast of the program "What Will You Do" over which Ms, Lo Lan presides on the Police Broadcasting Network,
Dr, Soong said the 1,000 programs have provided much help for young people,
Ms, Lo Lan conveys the idea that difficulties must be overcome in a reasonable and practical way. This is helping establish a harmonious and progressive society, Dr. Soong said.
170,000 families will be housed
The Taiwan Provincial Government has prepared a four-year program to build housing for some 170,000 families by the end of fiscal 1985.
The cost will be NT$95 billion (about US$2,638,900,000).
The Taiwan Provincial Government and local governments will build 46,200 units. The government will extend loans to farmers and workers to build 26,600 units. Private builders will be encouraged to build 98,000 units.
Government-built units will require some 500 hectares of land. Some of the sites will be made available by razing the houses of military dependent villages and creating high-rise apartments.