Taiwan Today

Parliamentary and civic bodies led a nationwide movement urging President Chiang Kai-shek to accept a fifth six-year term. The National As­sembly will convene in its fifth plenary session February 20 and will elect the chief executive of the Repub­lic of China March 21. The Vice President will be chosen March 22.

The Control Yuan, Taiwan Provincial Assembly and Taipei City Council joined in the first appeals to President Chiang to remain at the helm until national recovery. The chorus of such sentiments is expected to reach a crescendo by the time the more than 1,400 members of the National Assembly open their meeting at the Taipei City Auditorium.

Five hundred members of the National Assembly secretariat have begun preparations for the 1972 ses­sion, which also is expected to consider proposals to broaden parliamentary representation. Under the Con­stitution of the Republic of China, parliament includes the National Assembly, the Legislative Yuan and the Control Yuan.

The presidential election process calls for political parties to submit their nominations to the National Assembly, which then casts its ballots in secret. In recent years the Young China Party and the Democratic Socialist Party, the two minority political groups, have not made nominations. This means that presidential nomination by the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), of which Chiang Kai-shek is the director-gen­eral, is tantamount to election. The presidential nominee customarily indicates his choice of a running mate, although this is not necessarily binding on either party nominators or the National Assembly.

President Chiang's nomination by the Kuomin­tang is a foregone conclusion. Even the President him­self probably lacks the power to withdraw his name. Neither party nor Assembly would listen to his declina­tion.

In 1966, the Kuomintang accepted the choice of Premier Yen Chia-kan as President Chiang's running mate. After election, Vice President Yen continued to serve concurrently as head of the administrative branch of the government.

The manner of choosing additional parliamentary representatives and the number to be elected will be problems laid before the National Assembly. In 1969, elections were -held to fill vacancies and provide rep­resentation for increased population, but this meant only 27 additional members. More are needed.

Ku Cheng-kang, vice chairman of the Constitution Research Council, pointed out that the average age of National Assemblymen and legislators exceeds 60 and that of Control Yuan members is over 70. The parliament was elected on the mainland in 1947 and subsequent large-scale elections have been made im­possible by the Communist occupation.

One suggestion is for the election or appointment of representatives from overseas Chinese communities and various special interest groups of the . The Constitution of the Republic of China permits pluralism in parliamentary representation.

Terms of representatives elected in 1969 were not specified. Presumably they will hold office until mainland recovery and all-China elections, as will incum­bents chosen on the mainland. However, definite terms may be stipulated for the parliamentarians named in 1972 so as to assure a continuing supply of new blood for national bodies whose memberships may soon be too old to function effectively.

Local elections also are scheduled for the coming spring. All voters of except those of will go to the polls to choose 73 members of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly, 16 county magistrates and 4 city mayors for , , and . is a special municipality and its mayor is appointed by the President of the Republic. The Taipei City Council was elected two years ago.

President Chiang presided at ceremonies marking the 105th natal day (106th by Chinese reckoning) of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Republic's Founding Father. He urged the people to prepare for national reconstruc­tion under San Min (the Three Principles of the People) of Dr. Sun after recovery of the mainland. Chang Chi-yun, commandant of the , spoke on the overseas Chinese contributions to the Republic of China. A mass rally honoring Dr. Sun was addressed by Huang Chi-lu, president of the Academia Historica, who told of Dr. Sun's contribu­tions to Chinese culture.

President Chiang sent greetings to the Seventh Congress of Asian Parliamentarians in Saigon: He said, in part: "Delegates will be seeking to safeguard the freedom and democracy of the people of and to promote the unity and cooperation of the free nations of this region. They also will be defending Asian peace and prosperity. Their consultations are undertaken in order to find the ways and means of struggling together shoulder to shoulder. These deliberations have great significance for our times and I am deeply ap­preciative of your efforts.

"The adverse current of international appeasement has recently become very powerful. Evil forces of Communism are mounting ever stronger attempts to disrupt the heart of the people. The forces of righteousness have been hemmed in. This led the 26th General Assembly of the United Nations to vio­late the Charter and allow the illegal entry of the Mao Tse-tung regime. Such a decision is tantamount to announcing the doom and destruction of the United Nations. We are living in an era in which disaster threatens the welfare of humankind and in which se­curity is imperiled. The free nations of have reached a point at which they must stand up together and prevent the further spread of Communist aggression. Only in so doing can we avoid becoming victims of the forces of evil and escape a fate of destruction, one after another.

"Since its establishment in 1956, the APU has set objectives of cooperation and service for all the peoples of . Accomplishments have been outstanding. I am confident that at this time of historic crisis, the Seventh Congress will disseminate the spirit of righteousness among the peoples of and give them the moral courage to struggle against the forces of evil, defend what is right and fulfill their sacred responsibility to our era."

Details of a 10-year economic development plan were outlined for the Legislative Yuan by Walter H. Fei, vice chairman of the Council for Inter­national Economic Cooperation and Development. Overall goals will include modernization of the econ­omy and stress on industry, promotion of economic stability and raising of the living standard.

Specific objectives will include:

- Annual increase of 8.5 per cent in the gross national product.

- Population growth of not more than 2.04 per cent annually.

- Per capita income in excess of US$500 by the end of the period.

- Opening up of 180,000 new jobs every year.

- Raising of agricultural productivity by 3.6 annually together with a reduction in production costs of the farmer.

- Augmentation of the power supply by 11.9 per cent annually and of communications by 10.2 per cent.

- Forty-eight cars for every 1,000 people versus 1971.

- Export growth of 12.1 per cent and import growth of 11.9 per cent annually.

Fei estimated investment in the infrastructure and heavy and petrochemical industries would increase by 10 per cent annually. He estimated 95 per cent of investment capital would come from domestic savings and 5 per cent from overseas. Government will in­crease tax revenues to curtail private expenditures, he said.

Economic growth may reach 10 per cent again this year, Fei told the Economic Affairs Committee of the Legislative Yuan. Minister of Economic Affairs Y. S. Sun predicted the industrial growth rate would be 18.5 per cent. The figure for the first nine months of the year was 22 per cent.

Minister Sun called a meeting of 40 industrial leaders to discuss the Republic of China's position in the international situation of 1971-72. There was unanimous agreement that foreign trade was essential to the continuing economic growth of . Indus­trialists asked that the government cooperate in all reasonable measures to expand commerce.

Government is fully prepared to cooperate, Min­ister Sun said, and urged business and industry to support stabilization undertakings. He said the government would continue to invest heavily in economic development, mentioning the projected steel mill, ship­yard, petrochemicals and expansion of the infrastructure.

The government will promote the establishment of trade offices in countries which do not have diplomatic relations with the Republic of China. Travel of businessmen to foreign countries will be facilitated and overseas Chinese investors encouraged to put their money into enterprises.

The Board of Foreign Trade announced guide­lines for the allocation of the quota for import of noncotton textiles. The quota of 467.5 million square yards will go mostly to manufacturers of proven export performance. New exporters will get a small chunk and a somewhat larger amount will be reserved for competitive bidding.

Minister Sun called on government and private industry to help the textile industry to weather the difficulties which will result from curtailment of non­cotton purchases. He said the real solution would be the development of substitute markers.

and the Republic of China agreed to exchange technicians and management personnel to improve textile quality and sales. The Sino-Korean Textile Industry Committee, which met in , also decided to ask the to accord quota pref­erences to the two countries. and will work together to persuade European countries not to restrict their textile imports.

Concluding its fourth conference, the Council for Sino-Korean Economic Cooperation pledged measures to cope with Chinese Communist dumping in international markets. The two countries also agreed to give trade priority to each other's goods and reduce tariffs. Trade information will he exchanged and cutthroat competition avoided.

sent its second trade mission in three months to . The five-man private group hoped to import jute in return for sale of electrical goods.

Martin Wong, former Chinese ambassador to , said trade with that country would not be affected by the break in diplomatic relations. King Baudouin gave Wong personal assurance that overseas Chinese and students in would be well treated and not tyrannized by Communist representatives. Wong left for to become a special assistant to Ambassador James Shen for economic and trade affairs.

Economic officials announced plans to participate in three trade fairs next year: at in March, at in April and May and in Luxcmbourg in May and June.

H. K. Shao, deputy director of the Board of Foreign Trade, said products can compete with Japanese goods for markets in Central and . Shipping companies are being urged to es­tablish routes to Latin American ports. The Exporters and Importers Association has begun classes in Spanish and Portuguese for trade personnel.

Shao said the government would establish an economic counselor's office in the Chinese Embassy at to promote trade in .

The Central Trust of China, the government's principal procurement agency, will carry out a program to promote trade. The nine overseas offices will be strengthened and domestic manufacturers given expanded market advice. Efforts will be made to diversi­fy products and markets.

A 24-member trade mission came from . Most of the members were buyers and some spoke of possible investment in . Leading the group was Sten Akestan, secretary-general of the Association of Swedish Entrepreneurs, who was making his fifth visit to the Republic of China.

Exports of electrical apparatus will reach US$290 million this year, an increase of 61 per cent. The is the biggest buyer. Output of the 280 domestic plants will include 1,670,000 TV sets and 4 million transistor radios. Forty-five new factories were opened this year and 11 more are under con­struction.

Plastic exports will rise to US$110 million this year, up from the US$90 million of 1970. The figure for 1968 was only US$25 million.

Free 's newest trade agreement is with . Most favored nation treatment is stipulat­ed. A mixed commission will be set up to promote trade. The two countries do not have diplomatic rela­tions but each maintains a mission in the capital of the other.

The China Steel Corporation, a Sino-Austrian venture, came into being in to build a $­322 million integrated steel plant at . Chao Yao-tung, chief of the preparatory office, was named chairman of the board and president of the company. Three directors are from the Chinese government, three from Chinese private enterprise and two from the Voest Steel Corporation of .

Voest will invest US$16 million and the Chinese government cement, steel and shipping industries a total of US$64 million. Loans will make up the rest of the US$322 million with about US$50 million coming from Austrian sources and US$192 million from a European consortium. The lenders will be providing equipment and materials. Estimated capacity of the mill will be 1.1 million tons annually, of which 300,­000 tons will be semifinished products. Expansion to 2 million tons is possible if demand warrants.

Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed in 1976.

The Council for International Economic Cooperation and Development said foreign and overseas invest­ment totaled more than US$152 million through October, an increase of US$13 million over all of 1970 and a record. Investment approvals for the 10 months exceeded 100. Among plant expansions will be that of the USI Far Eastern Corporation's polyethylene facilities at a cost of US$7 million. USI is a subsidiary of General Distillers and Chemicals of the .

Officials of the Ministry of Economic Affairs were studying proposals from two European shipbuilders for participation in a new shipyard to cost US$85 million. The government would put up 40 per cent of the capital, private interests 20 per cent and the foreign investor 40 per cent in loans, equip­ment and technical services. Tankers of up to 300,000 tons would be built, as well as cargo carriers.

also showed interest in investment. German bankers and industrialists led by Dr. H. L. Hennemann, director of the Bank of Genein­-wirschaft, spent three days in looking over the economic situation and conferring with government leaders and top bankers and businessmen.

Siemens of Germany is expected to become a supplier of electrical generating equipment. One report spoke of a US$300 million project involving investment and loans. Thus far most of 's turbines and other generating equipment have come from the .

C. J. Tempas, the biggest Green Giant (president), came to and waxed enthusiastic about buying mushrooms and possibly other agricultural commodities. The Green Giant Co. of the , with annual sales of nearly US$300 million, buys about a tenth of 's canned mushrooms. It has a staff of during the peak growing season. Tempas predicted that with hard work and calm determination, the Republic of China could become the of the Pacific.

Government sources said investments will be made abroad to assure a steady supply of such raw materials as iron ore, bauxite and crude oil. The Chi­nese Petroleum Corporation is looking into the possibility of investment and technical cooperation with countries of Africa, South America or .

Central Bank Governor K. H. Yu told the Finance Committee of the Legislative Yuan that the New Tai­wan dollar would remain stable despite international monetary fluctuations. He expressed belief that commodity prices also would remain under control. Mean­while, the exchange rate between NT$s and Japanese yen followed the fluctuations of the $ in . Most of the Republic of China's more than US$800 million worth of foreign exchange reserves are in US dollars.

Finance Minister K. T. Li said the NT$ is one of the world's strong currencies and that in time it may have to be revalued upward.

The Executive Yuan revised regulations on the sale of gold for ornamental purposes. Gold of 94.5 per cent may now be sold at auctions twice monthly. The quantity is set at 12,000 Chinese ounces. Demand has been rising. Buyers and goldsmiths prefer the purer gold to the 87.5 per cent previously allowed. Import of gold in excess of five Chinese ounces is now forbidden without government approval. Previously there were no legal restraists.

Four European banks are expected to send representatives to to look into loans totaling US$60 million for the electrification of the west coast mainland railroad. The whole project, to be carried out between 1972 and 1978, will cost US$165 million. The World Bank will put up US$50 million and other international loans are in prospect. About 1,000 kilometers of track will be involved.

One major problem is how to get electrified trains through , where rails are on the surface with many grade crossings. Elevation was ruled out a couple of years ago but is under discussion again. Other possibilities are a subway, moving the tracks out of the city or building overpasses and underpasses for pedestrians and vehicles and leaving the right-of­-way undisturbed.

The Taiwan Railway Administration will build 15 inland container cargo transportation stations in the next four years. Fourteen per cent of TRA cargo is now transported in containers. About three-quarters of shippers have expressed interest in moving their g00ds the container way.

Approval was granted by the Asian Development Bank for a loan of US$13.6 million to be used in build­ing the Taipei- Yangmei section of the North-South Ex­pressway. ADB advanced US$18 million last year for a section of the road between Sanchung and Chungli. Another US$14.5 million for the freeway will come from the Japanese Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund. Completion of the Keelung-Kaohsiung high speed road is slated for 1977. Total cost will be about US$500 million.

The section of the expressway from the eastern portal of to will follow the present MacArthur Freeway. Width of this stretch will be doubled at a cost of US$14 million.

Construction of the first commercial port in west-central will begin next year. The location is near with an area of 3,970 hectares from the southern bank of the in the north to the northern bank of in the south. The water­way will be 250 meters wide and 15 meters deep at ebb. There will be 72 docks along a deep-water wharf of 15,360 meters. The shallow-water wharf will be 3,400 meters long. Cargo capacity will be 12 million metric tons after completion in 1980. Cost is estimated at US$205 million. Part of the money will come from and Japanese loans.

Land adjacent to port will provide sites for an oil refinery, other petrochemical plants, a shipyard and possibly for steel and other industries.

Shen Ao, a port 4 miles east of , will be developed for the offloading of tankers at a cost of just under US$6 million. Tankers of up to 50,000 tons will be handled when the project is completed in 1973. This will relieve pressure on overcrowded port.

Brazilian Ambassador Lauro Muller Neto, 16 other passengers and 8 crew members were lost in the crash of a China Airlines Caravelle jet in the sea near the (). The flight had left for Hongkong just after 9 p.m. November 20.

Only fragments of the plane were recovered. It was believed the aircraft exploded in the air between Huchin and Wang An islets. Island residents told of hearing a loud explosion about 9:30. Ben Chow, the president of CAL. said survivors would be indemnified in accordance with international regulations. The plane was insured by a British firm for US$480,000.

's request to suspend domestic services because of financial losses was rejected by the Ministry of Communications. CAL and Far Eastern Air Transport compete on the principal domestic routes.

's . was opened with a flight from Hongkong with 16 passengers aboard. There were 27 passengers for the return flight to Hongkong. Other international carriers are expected to make a stop on some of their Taipei-Hongkong flights.

The Executive Yuan approved and sent to the Legislative Yuan a proposed broadcasting law which would limit television advertising to six minutes an hour and radio ads to nine minutes an hour. Minimum time periods are set for educational, cultural, news, and public service programs.

China Television Service began formal broadcasts. Its school of the air has enrollment of 8,000. Programs are broadcast from 6 to the morning and repeated in the afternoon. Diplomas will be given and graduates may transfer credit to colleges.

The first World Folk Arts Radio/TV Fair was held at the Mandarin Hotel. Fifty-one programs from 13 countries and areas were shown or heard during the three days.

Designs have been completed for 's sec­ond earth station to connect with the satellite. The location of the US$5 million installation will be near the Pacific satellite station atop Yangming­shan north of . The facility will be in opera­tion by June of 1973 and will link to the Mid­dle East, Europe and .

The Asian-Oceanic Postal Union met in for an eight-day conference. Members are , , , , , , the , and the Republic of China. Two ROC stamps were issued to mark the occasion.

The Ministry of Communications will spend more than US$78 million in fiscal 1971-72 for the improve­ment of postal and telecommunication services. The lion's share will go to expansion of telephone service. New post offices will be opened and postal transportation services improved.

Vice President and Premier C.K. Yen went to for the inauguration of President Nguyen Van Thieu. He also participated in celebration of the 's National Day November 1.

The Vice President discussed the international situation with President Thieu and took advantage of the opportunity to talk with South Korean Premier Kim Jong Pil and with Secretary of the U.S. Treasury John Connally. He said the Vietnamese pacification program was going well and that Chinese cooperation projects had the enthusiastic support of the gov­ernment and the Vietnamese people. The Republic of China supports agricultural, power, medical, civic and military engineering programs in the ROV.

's population reached 14,937,054 at the end of October. Military personnel are not included, so that meant an island population of about 15.5 million. The count was 1,828,743.

Reporting on Provincial Government progress, Governor Chen Ta-ching cited several gains in the war against red tape. The time for approval of applications for documents and registrations has been reduced. Transfer of land ownership can be accomplished in one day compared with ten not so long ago. Applications for commercial fishing licenses formerly required 17 supporting documents; this has been reduced to 7. Household registration record entries have been re­duced from 355 to 134.

The TPG established a at near . The seat of Provincial Government thus requires a public service center to go with others set up by city, county and township governments. Governor Chen has set aside Saturday mornings to meet with citizens about their problems. He sees between four and eight such callers a week.

Police of the island launched a massive campaign to wipe out the drug traffic. Inspection at ports and airports was stepped up. Narcotics cases have been on the increase: 1968, 1969 and 1970. Four persons were sentenced to death for narcotics trafficking in 1970 and 13 received life terms. A mobile dope ring was smashed with the arrest of more than 40 persons in the area.

How big are the Chinese people of ? The Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction is going to find out by measuring some 140,000 people. The survey will begin in January and is intended to provide data for the improvement of nutrition and health care. Height and weight will be the principal measurements.

's Highway Bureau, whose buses reach every part of the island, will buy 1,100 new carriers in the next five years. The bureau now has 1,774 buses and what with replacements will have 1976.

Investment in building construction has exceeded US$272 million in the last four years. About half of this went into residential buildings, mostly apartments.

showed a decline in criminal cases during the first nine months of 1971. Larceny offenses were down 384 to 3,747 and homicides down 6 to 168.

Winter activities of the China Youth Corps will draw 265,000 young people in the January-February vacation period. There will be 92 activities in these categories: combat training, academic research, music, mountain climbing, farm social service, visits and interviews, vocational training, overseas Chinese visits and community service in towns and vil­lages. Some 2,722 teams will be organized.

Educational authorities have decided to retain the joint college entrance examination but with improvements. No one was satisfied with the exam but the alternatives were adjudged worse. A conference of deans from 20 colleges and universities favored examining in four areas: engineering and natural science, humanities and social science, medical and agricultural sciences, and law and commerce.

Fewer students are going abroad. The total for 1970 was 2,056, which was a decline of 1,388 from 1969. Departures numbered the first nine months of 1971, of whom 90 per cent went to the . The number rose from 1960 to the 1969 peak of 3,444.

Government is encouraging graduate study in because of lower costs and easier adjustments. Students who complete courses at the Ministry of Edu­cation's will be exempted from qualifying examinations.

Tourism will exceed 520,000 this year with earnings of about US$100 million, the Tourism Bureau said. A tourist office will be opened in to back lip those already established in and . October tourism totaled 60,554 to set an all-time record for a single month. For Chinese going abroad, the Taiwan Visitors Association published a booklet "You Are Now An International Man:' Subjects include eating, foreign customs, airlines, hotels, tips, shopping, sightseeing and getting home again.

was host to two medical meetings: the second Asia-Pacific Congress on Diseases of the Chest and the second Asian-Oceania Congress of Otolaryngology. Chest specialists warned against smoking and heard papers on their specialties. EENT experts were urged to watch out for nose and throat cancer, to which the Chinese people are particularly susceptible for rea­sons as yet unknown.

Provincial Medical Association members heard that hypertension continues to be the most serious circulatory disorder of people. Nearly 7,000 persons were covered in a study of health conditions.

Family control measures will include awards for those who hold down family size. The Taiwan Provincial Council for the Promotion of Family Planning said married women with fewer than three children may register. Those who have no more than two children 10 years later will receive NT$10,701 as an educational fund. Other awards will be made on a proportional basis.

Agricultural growth will be between 2.5 and 3 per cent this year, according to the estimate of Dr. T. H. Shen, chairman of the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction. The gain was 7 per cent in the first half of 1971.

The government drafted a bill to encourage agri­culture by discouraging farm fragmentation, cutting costs, improving transportation and marketing, and raising cash crops to meet export and changing dietary customs.

Farm population will drop from the present 38.2 per cent to 25 per cent by 1981, agricultural authorities said. This means that more emphasis must be placed on mechanization and land consolidation.

dedicated a new YMCA building. The 10-story structure in the downtown area includes a 19-room hostel with rooms decorated in the style of free nations around the world.