Taiwan's "Largest" Marine Patrol Ship Launched on March 9
Taiwan’s “Largest” Marine Patrol Ship Launched on March 9
At the ceremony, Tsai Ing-wen said that the two newly delivered ships were the largest in tonnage in the Taiwan Marine Patrol Department.
According to Taiwan media reports, the delivery, “Yunlin ship” “Taipei ship” tonnage are 4000 tonnes. “Yunlin ship” is said to be able to withstand strong winds of 10, able to range 1,000 nautical miles, equipped with three sets of high-pressure water cannons with a range of 120 metres, and has the equivalent of a field hospital level of medical compartments.
Despite Tsai’s touting of the two new ships at the ceremony, Taiwan’s former Air Force Vice Commander Zhang Yanting has pointed out that compared to the number and strength of the mainland’s ships, the Taiwan authorities’ are overstretched. He said that the mainland also has marine police ships, marine surveillance ships, fisheries vessels. There are 99 marine police ships of more than 1,000 tonnes, 46 ships of more than 3,000 tonnes, and two ships of 10,000 tonnes. On the contrary, the Taiwan authorities do not have any 5,000 or 6,000 tonne ships at all, and the mainland has an absolute advantage at sea.
First Batch of Chinese Savings Bonds Snapped up on First Day Of Issue
On March 10, the first batches of 2024 savings bonds (vouchers) were officially issued in China. Residents rushed to buy them with enthusiasm. A number of banks in Beijing sold out their quota in the morning, and the quota of large banks being particularly tight, being snapped up in just one hour. According to the announcement of the Ministry of Finance of China, the first and second issues of 2024 savings treasury bonds (certificated) were issued from 10 March to 19 March. Both issues of treasury bonds are fixed-rate and fixed-maturity varieties. The first issue has a maturity of 3 years, with a maximum issuance of 15 billion yuan and a coupon rate of 2.38 per cent per annum. The second issue has a maturity of 5 years, with a maximum issuance of 15 billion yuan and a coupon rate of 2.5 per cent per annum.
It’s not new that savings bonds are difficult to purchase. Although interest rates continue to go down, its security, stability and other characteristics still have a greater attraction. In China, compared to young people, the middle-aged and elderly people are more inclined to buy savings bonds.
Proposal to Legislate ‘Right to Disconnect’ Filed, Companies Should Compensate for After-Hours Online Work
In an exclusive interview with CGTN before the National Two Sessions, Lv Guoquan, member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and director of the office of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, has for the first time proposed to legislate the “Right to Disconnect” in order to increase the legal costs for companies imposing invisible overtime. This suggestion has sparked widespread discussion. On March 10, Lv responded to CGTN, confirming that the proposal has been officially filed and that relevant departments will soon communicate with him and provide a response.
Lv stated that during the group discussions attended by relevant personnel from the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, he also suggested that the “Right to Disconnect” should be a major point of discussion. He recommended conducting research in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Furthermore, Lv expressed the view that if employees are “working” online, they should receive appropriate compensation. Additionally, he argued that securing necessary living conditions at the expense of one’s health is unsustainable for both businesses and workers.