Dr. C.H. Ho, president of the Taipei Language Institute, urged President Carter to cherish traditional relations between the Republic of China and the United States. His letter said;
"In the week of your recent decision to end formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China and to establish the same with Communist China, you have been the recipient of much correspondence expressing disapproval of this decision. Thus you must be well aware of the reaction and sentiments of the Chinese people in the Republic of China. Mr. President, you know the price - the sacrifice of 17 million people in Taiwan - is too high. I am writing you this letter to impress upon you the importance Taiwan has played in cultural relations in the past and to express the hope that it will continue to do so in the future.
"I'm an educator - an educator of Chinese language. My efforts to make Chinese language' and culture accessible to American people have not gone unnoticed. For the past 16 years, under contract with U.S. Department of State, the Taipei Language Institute has successfully trained your State Department personnel as well as high-ranking foreign officials. Moreover, beginning in 1967, TLI has trained, every summer, 400-600 American over seas Chinese who have come to the Republic of China to study Chinese language and culture. In 1976, I led a group of Chinese acrobats on a tour to the United States to celebrate your Bicentennial. We were warmly received in the 40 states where we performed, and also had the opportunity to witness the political debates between you and then-President Gerald Ford. In 1978, as one of the five representatives from the ROC, I participated in conferences with well known university professors of Chinese studies on both the East and West Coasts. At that time we assumed the responsibility of preparing a series of new Chinese language texts for American students. Since last August I have twice been to the United States in order that I might observe various universities' East Asian Studies departments and discuss the Chinese language teaching and text situation.
"Thus, Mr. President, I am hoping to obtain your help in fulfilling the wishes I have for the future 'status of the Republic of China and for relations between the U.S. and the Republic of China. Traditional Chinese culture has a historical heritage of 5,000 years. As all countries of the world have their roots, and as more and more people are seeking to rediscover those roots, I hope you can guarantee that traditional Chinese culture (including opera, art and music) will continue to flourish - that it will not be the victim of Communist destruction. I hope that the long period of cultural ex change between the U.S. and the Republic of China will not be met with hindrances and elimination. In the future I hope that there will be an equally numerous number of American students studying in Taiwan as there is today. What I am hoping, Mr. President, what I am asking is that there will be a fair cultural and economic competition between the Republic of China and main land China. The Republic of China is an increasingly open society. We are accustomed to free cultural and trade development. In your realization of plans to establish and develop cultural and business relations with the mainland China, do not forget the Republic of China. Let there be a fair competition.
"I know you are presently faced with many difficulties in this matter; that you must contend with the reaction of the American people and Congress. Thus am very appreciative and happy that you concern yourself with my sentiments. I wish you good luck, Mr. President, in reconciling the complexities of the results of your decision."
Millions of letters to American people
Millions of Americans will receive letters from Taiwan asking them to write their Congressmen and minimize damages the Republic of China may suffer from the severance of diplomatic ties with the U.S. Six clubs and organizations in Taipei voiced their support for the "Write Your Friends" campaign initiated by the Chinese Zontians.
Some 500 members of the Zonta International Clubs in Taiwan wrote a letter to their Zontian sisters in the U.S., about 20,000 in number, asking them to urge their Congressmen to help minimize the possible damages the Republic of China may suffer in the wake of the diplomatic switch.
Supporting the campaign were the English-speaking Rotary Club of Taipei, Yangming Rotary Club, Sino-American Cultural and Technical Foundation, American Legion Gen. Claire Chennault Post 49, American Legion Gen. Claire Chennault Post 49 Auxiliary and the Kiwanis Club of Taipei-Keystone.
Good men honored for their good deeds
President Chiang Ching-kuo received 61 representatives of those chosen for good men and good deeds citations.
Citations were given at the Taipei City Auditorium with Yu Chun-hsien, president of the Control Yuan, presiding.
Among the 61, 2 were from Kinmen, 2 were foreigners and 16 were servicemen.
They paraded through Taipei City accepting salutations from residents and went to Tzuhu, the temporary resting place of the late President Chiang Kai-shek, to pay their respects.
More graduate students returning
Nearly 4,300 students - 4,262 exactly - with postgraduate training abroad have returned to Taiwan for employment since July, 1971, the National Youth Commission reported.
Dr. Lien Chan, chairman of the commission, told the Legislative Yuan that 1,091 of the returnees hold doctoral degree, 2,561 have earned master's degrees and 610 have engaged in post graduate study.
Nearly half of the returnees, numbering 1,950 persons, found employment as faculty members at local universities and colleges.
Lien said the volume of returnees has been rising steadily. In 1977, 624 foreign-trained students returned, compared with 445 in 1973.
Lien admitted the commission has had difficulty finding employment for those majoring in humanities, social sciences and agricultural science.
Those who have failed to earn a postgraduate degree and older returnees have trouble finding work.
Lien reported that there is an oversupply of college graduates.
More than 60,000 graduates come out of the local institutions of higher learning annually. In the last three years, a third of college graduates were unable to find work in the first year after leaving school.
Among those who fail to find employment in the first year, one-fifth are still out of work after the second year.
A substantial number of college graduates who have found employment complain that they are unable to apply their training to their work or that their training cannot be fully utilized.
In 1977, local institutions turned out 37 PhDs and 1,482 MAs compared with 19 PhDs and 953 MAs in 1973. Many are unable to find jobs, Lien said.
More pay sought for rural area work
Seventy percent of college graduates working in agriculture consider that they should receive higher pay if they go to the countryside, the National Youth Commission said.
A survey showed that the majority of college graduates majoring in agriculture would like to go to work in the villages, if they could have more pay and promotional chances than at present.
The youths also suggested that living environment in villages should be improved to reduce the difference from city life.
The survey also found that 42 percent of agricultural graduates worked in private enterprises, 31 per cent in government organizations and only 17 percent in agricultural organizations.
The survey was based on 1972 graduates. The commission said 80 percent of 1972 college graduates majoring in the arts and law have found work.
Seventy-nine per cent found jobs three months after they were graduated and 44 percent within a month's time.
Seventy-eight percent said they were satisfied with their jobs and 22 percent were dissatisfied.
East Asians call for cooperation
Scholars from Northeast and Southeast Asia attending the Seminar on Northeast Asia and ASEAN called for closer cooperation among countries in these geographical divisions.
Prof. Thanat Khoman, former foreign minister of Thailand, said in his keynote speech, "As things now stand, the two wings of Asia, Southeast and Northeast, are becoming more and more inter-related and interdependent. They mutually affect and support each other."
"It is essential, therefore, that the mutual influence and interest should be directed to serve the peace and stability of the region rather than disruption and conflict."
Dr. Han Lih-wu, director of the sponsoring organization, Asia and the World Forum, echoed this view in his opening remarks.
"ASEAN is very important for Northeast Asia: imports and exports from Northeast Asia go through ASEAN countries and ASEAN countries need Northeast countries in their economic development," he said.
Urging increasing commercial exchanges and economic contacts, Dr. Khoman singled out areas where Northeast Asia can help ASEAN countries, including tariff concessions, access to industrialized markets, investment and price stabilization.
ASEAN nations should persist in their line of "keep our distances" from the superpowers, he said.
"When the 2 ½ and 3rd worlds learn to work together, they can become a worthwhile counter balance to the 1st and l½ worlds which presently dominate our area," he declared.
Dr. Roeslan Abdulgani, consultant to President Suharto of Indonesia, warned ASEAN nations of the danger of Communist subversion.
"The imminent danger is subversive in character and needs some sort of cooperative response in the form of coordinated security measures and the exchange of information on a bilateral level," he said.
Masahide Shibuzawa pledged Japanese support to developing countries of ASEAN.
He said the Japanese will channel US$1 billion in financial aid to ASEAN nations as Tokyo has promised.
Government tells what it is doing
The second edition of the pamphlet "What the Government Is Doing for Us," published by the Government Information Office, was distributed to every house hold in Taiwan.
District government offices dispatched staff members to deliver the pamphlets in person.
The second edition focused on significant governmental projects between July, 1974, and June, 1978.
Readers can find reports on construction in political, defense, monetary, finance, economic, agricultural, communications, social, educational and scientific fields.
The pamphlet contains 12 questions in a contest to be answered by mail.
The first edition came out in July, 1974, under the title of "What the Government Is Doing for You." The GIO adopted readers' suggestions and changed the name to "What the Government Is Doing for Us."
Workers exhibit technical skills
The three-day National Technical Skills Contest wound up at the Taipei City Auditorium.
The first three winners in each skill received awards from Interior Vice Minister Chen Ming-chin, who is concurrently vice chairman of the International Technical Skills Contest Committee of the Republic of China.
Chen urged enterprises to emphasize job training.
He said the training of skilled personnel is essential to assure a higher stage of industrialization.
Four hundred and thirty three workers entered the 26 categories of the competition.
In principle, the winner in each category will be sent to the 25th International Technical Skills Contest in Ireland this year.
Defecting pilot studying in U.S.
Shao Hsi-yen, a former Chinese Communist pilot who flew to freedom in Korea in an AN-2 DDT-duster in 1961, has left for the United States and graduate work at the University of Kansas.
Shao, 46, flew from Shantung with Kao Yu-tsung in 1962. The two pilots came to Taiwan later that year and settled down in Taiwan. He is now the father of two children. He joined the Chinese Air Force and is a lieutenant colonel.
His job in the CAF has been intelligence and psywar against the Chinese Communists. After coming to Taiwan he began to learn English, and in 1971 was admitted to the night school of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature of the National Taiwan University. He graduated in the summer of 1977.
Several of his professors suggested he continue his studies in the United States. General Wang Sheng, chief of the General Political Warfare Department, Ministry of National Defense, also encouraged him and gave his blessing to the idea.
Shao is majoring in education and will return to Taiwan after receiving his degree.
ROC wins Far East bridge championship
The Republic of China bridge team won the fifth Far East championship.
Players are Huang Kuang-hui, Shen Chuen-shan, Chang Kueng jen, Lin Hsien-chu, Ko Cheh-hung and Tu Ya-ping.
Competition came from Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and India.
The ROC beat India and entered the finals. After a match with Australia, the ROC was 0.41 points ahead of Pakistan.
The next tournament will be held in November, 1979, in Tokyo, Japan. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will play separately to choose their own representatives for the Bermuda World Cup.
The Republic of China team will represent the Far East in the Bermuda Cup tournament in Argentina.
Couple married on highway bus
Chiu Peng-jung, an employee of the Taiwan Highway Bureau, chose to marry his childhood sweetheart, the former Miss Chien Shu-chu, on the Kuokuang Greyhound bus.
The wedding express left Taipei at 10:20 a.m. with Highway Bureau director Hu Mei-huang and Budget Department chief Wang Chao-tai aboard.
The driver was Hsu Jung-hua, one of the best. Conductress Huang Chi-ping was emcee.
As soon as the bus passed the Taishan toll station, the wedding got into full gear. Passengers Li Yu-teh and his wife, Chang Mi-yueh, were the witnesses. The bus was filled with cheers, wedding promenades and applause.
As the Greyhound rolled to a stop at the Taian rest area, two wedding cakes were presented by Highway Bureau employees and the bride was given a bouquet of roses. The newlyweds shared the cakes with everyone on board.
The bus was welcomed with firecrackers at every stop beyond Taian.
NT$1 billion fund to spur culture
NT$1 billion will be spent on national cultural activities, the Executive Yuan announced.
Chen Chi-lu, minister without portfolio, will head the program.
These are highlights:
- Literature month annually.
- Cultural scholarships.
- Revision of copyrights.
- Setting of music proficiency levels.
- Establishment of cultural centers in towns and cities.
Vietnam refugees cared for on Penghu
Eight hundred and twenty-nine Vietnam refugees are being cared for on Penghu (Pescadores) with the assistance of the Free China Relief Association and military forces on the islands.
These refugees, including 571 ethnic Chinese, arrived aboard their own escape boats or on foreign vessels.
They are living in a camp. All have received clothes, blankets and other necessities. Each adult is given NT$38.50 for three meals and each child under 3 is given NT$19.25 for powdered milk daily. Adults get pocket money of NT$400 and teenagers NT$200 monthly.
People of Taiwan have donated clothes, money and necessities.
A special bank account for contributions has been set up at a post office in Penghu.
The Penghu government is planning a junior middle school.
Seventy-four refugees have left for new homes in the U.S., Canada, Belgium and Taiwan.