Though fewer foreign countries have diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, more foreign visitors came to Taiwan in 1975.
The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Communications said a record 853,140 visitors spent US$359,358,000 in Taiwan last year.
The 715,630 foreigners represented an increase of 1.8 per cent and the 137,510 overseas Chinese showed a gain of 17.7 per cent.
Japanese were counted at 419,259 to make up 49.1 per cent of the total, down 4.5 per cent from 1974.
Americans numbered 123,550, a 5.4 per cent increase, followed by Singaporeans, 26,594, up 54.7 per cent; Malaysians, 26,301, up 28.9 per cent; British, 14,563, up 23.1 per cent; Indonesians, 13,734, up 35 per cent; Australians, 12,908, up 22.1 per cent; Thais, 12,623, up 1.5 per cent; Germans, 11,478, up 14.3 per cent; and Koreans, 6,910, up 1.9 per cent.
Visitors from France, Holland, India, Switzerland and South Africa also came in increasing numbers.
Of the overseas Chinese, 105, 850 (77 per cent) were from Hongkong.
Visitors spent an average of US$66.86 daily for stays that averaged 6.3 days. The average stay was two days longer than in 1974.
Shortage of hotels to cut tourism growth
A shortage of hotels will become a limiting factor in tourism growth in the years just ahead, industry sources said. Some 900,000 tourists will visit Taiwan this year.
Leading hotels in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung were at or near capacity last October and November.
No new construction is under way, except a 176-room by the Imperial Hotel in Taipei. It takes about three years to build a sizable hotel, not including planning time.
Plans of overseas Chinese and foreign investors to build hotels in Taiwan have recently been abandoned because of recession.
Tourism industry sources said the profit margin of hotels is limited by high power rates and progressive taxation. The government has been asked to classify tourist hotels as an "industry" eligible for lower power rates and reduced taxes.
The Government has not been satisfied with the operation of tourist hotels. The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Communications has urged more reasonable rates and improvement of service.
Taipei has 13 tourist hotels with 3,527 rooms. Taiwan Province has seven tourist hotels with 912 rooms.
Tourism will be developed along the Southern East-West Cross-Island Highway. The Taiwan Provincial Government and private investors will provide NT$768.5 million to construct 14 tourist zones along the highway.
The Southern Cross-Island Highway of 169 kilometers stretches from Yuching in the west to Haituan in the east. It opens up mineral, power, forestry and other agricultural resources.
Life expectancy up 25 years in last 30
Life expectancy of the people of Taiwan has increased by more than 25 years in the last 30 years, the Provincial Department of Health reported.
The department said the life expectancy is 66.72 years for men and 72.21 years for women, gains of 25.64 and 26.48 years, respectively.
When Taiwan was restored to Chinese sovereignty in 1945, life expectancy was 41.08 years for men and 45.73 years for women.
Vigorous public health administration has wiped out bubonic plague, cholera, smallpox, rabies, relapsing fever, typhus and scarlet fever. Other contagious diseases have declined.
The mortality rate has been reduced to 0.476 per cent from the 0.673 per cent of 1961. Infant mortality dropped from 3.14 to 1.4 per cent in the same period.
Family planning efforts have been very effective in curbing population growth. The birth rate has been reduced to 2.34 per cent from the 1963 high of 3.564 per cent. Population growth rate has been brought down to 1.87 per cent.
Decline of the birth rate has resulted in a reduction in primary school enrollment. There were 2,243,503 grade school children in 1965. Last year's total was 2,117,326.
In the last decade, the ratio of primary school children to the total population has dropped by 2.47 per cent.
Population control essential for Taiwan
Dr. C.M. Wang, director general of the National Health Administration, warned of a serious dislocation in education and the economy if something is not done to slow down the population explosion.
He sounded the warning in a report to the Central Standing Committee of the ruling Kuomintang.
Taiwan has a population density of 441 persons for square kilometer, one of the highest in the world, he said. A total of 293,063 persons were added in 1974, or 34 an hour.
Taiwan had a population of 3,000,000 in 1905. By 1941 this had doubled to 6,000,000. It had doubled again to 12,000,000 by 1964. At the end of 1974, there were 15,855,224 people on the island.
In 1974, 367,823 babies were born and 74,760 persons died for a net increase of 293,063, or 1.866 per cent. The 1974 birth rate was 2.342 per cent, while the death rate was 0.476 per cent.
The population increase has overtaxed public facilities. Dr. Wang said there are only 15.6 hospital beds per 10,000 persons compared with 46.8 beds in the United States. There are 4.4 doctors per 10,000 persons compared with 15.8 for the United States.
Population growth has taxed school facilities, especially at higher levels. Competition for jobs is keen.
Dr. Wang said a five-year population control plan was concluded in 1975. The National Health Administration will launch a new three-year plan. Women under 30 will be the main target in the dissemination of information on family planning.
The Taipei Health Department said family planning has slowed the city's population growth rate.
From March to August last year, the department made 76,415 family planning visits.
Acupuncture helps cure drug addiction
Acupuncture is being used to cure dope addiction at a Taipei clinic. At least 25 addicts have been cured, said Chen Chang-sheng, the director.
Acupuncture relieves withdrawal symptoms, Chen said, but not all addicts can be cured. Those with heart conditions and pregnant women are not given acupuncture.
The clinic was set up July 1. It uses a variety of treatments.
Taiwan began experimenting with acupuncture in treatment of drug addiction soon after a Hongkong physician reported favorable results. The Tri-Service General Hospital experimented with favor able findings.
One needle is applied about 30 minutes daily for two weeks in cases of minor addiction. It takes 25 to 40 days to cure more serious cases.
Graduate education will be emphasized
The Executive Yuan plans to upgrade graduate level education as part of the 1976-81 six-year economic plan.
There are currently 3,614 students working for master's degrees. The government hopes to have 4,789 candidates by 1981.
Ph.D. candidates will be increased from the present 298 to 500 in 1981.
Leading scholars from abroad will be invited to teach in graduate schools. Doctoral candidates may be sent abroad for study and then return to finish their dissertations.
Graduate schools may be asked to offer on-the-job training to selected government functionaries. The government will allocate more money to graduate schools for the purchase of books and research materials.
Student attitudes show big changes
Chinese college students have undergone a drastic change in behavior and attitudes during the last decade, according to a psychologist's survey.
Prof. Huang Chien-hou of Naional Taiwan Normal University studied 128 boys and 141 girls from freshman, sophomore and junior psychology classes.
He found students care less than formerly about tradition, customs, order, work and other people's problems and needs. They are more aggressive, reject inhibition, want change and show increasing permissiveness in their relations with the opposite sex.
More college students are ready to go steady while in school. There is less opposition to premarital sex relations.
Patterns of behavior and attitudes resemble those of American college students, Professor Huang said.
Album given Premier by foreign students
More than 1,600 foreign students studying in the Republic of China presented an autographed album to Premier Chiang Ching-kuo.
Education Minister Y.S. Tsiang accepted the gift on behalf of Premier Chiang.
The Education Ministry gave a party for foreign friends.
Miss F. Daneshpour of Iran presented the album along with a letter. She gave the Premier an Iranian carpet as a personal gift.
Students from 21 nations signed the album and wrote "Happy New Year" in their own language.
The letter said foreign students have been impressed by the progress of the Republic of China in recent years.
Changing 'lefties' may be inadvisable
Forcing left-handed children to use their right hand may result in speech impediments, a neurosurgeon warned.
Dr. Hung Ching-chang of the National Taiwan University Hospital said the nerve center governing the speech faculty is located on the left side of the brain among 90 per cent of right-handed children, while only 60 to 70 per cent of left-handed children have similar nerve structure.
If a left-handed child is forced to use his right hand, his speech nerve may not be able to adjust, Dr. Hung said.
Miss Yeh Chu-sheng, director of the Department of Elementary Education, Ministry of Education, said the government policy is to help left-handed children make more use of their right hand but that there is no compulsion.
If a youngster is unable to use his right hand after trying to do so, he should be allowed to follow his natural bent, Miss Yeh added.
She said there are far fewer left-handed persons in the Republic of China than in many other countries. There is no denying that the right-handed enjoy many advantages over southpaws, she said.
Legislature passes radio and TV law
Commercial ads on TV and radio should not exceed 15 per cent of broadcast time, and at least 45 per cent of the time should be devoted to news, education, culture, public service and explanation of government programs.
These are requirements of the Radio and Television law passed by the Legislative Yuan.
Entertainment on radio and TV should promote Chinese culture, ethics, democracy, science and education.
Other requirements:
- News, government regulations, education, culture and public services programs shouldn't make up less than 45 per cent of program hours on radio and 50 per cent on TV.
- Locally made programs shouldn't be less than 70 per cent of the total.
-For imported programs, Chinese subtitles should be added or the dialogue dubbed into Chinese if deemed necessary by the Government Information Office.
-Programs should be broadcast in Mandarin but the Taiwan dialect may be used. The percentage of Taiwan dialect programs should be decided by GIO. It should be progressively decreased.
-Commercials shouldn't exceed 15 per cent of viewing time.
-Newscasts and public service programs should be produced by the TV or radio stations and not by commercial firms.
- Ads shouldn't be inserted into programs less than 30 minutes long. For programs longer than 30 minutes, one or two insertions may be made.
- Ads and programs should be separated. Ads should be approved by GIO. No change in content or sound will be permitted.
- Ads for medicines, food, cosmetics, medical equipment and the medical profession must be approved by the National Health Administration.
Taipei will host baseball world series
Hsieh Kuo-eheng, president of the Chinese Baseball Association, said the Association of International Amateur Baseball, newly formed by merger of the World Amateur Baseball Federation and the Association of World Amateur Baseball, has confirmed that the first world series of amateur base ball will be held in Taipei in September.
Carlos Garcia, executive vice president of the Association of International Amateur Baseball, told Hsieh of the decision to form the new association.
Garcia is executive vice president of the new association. Manuel Gonzalez of Cuba is president.
Twelve to 14 countries will take part in the world series.
59 cited for their community services
"Good men and good deed doers" were cited at the Taipei City Auditorium. Nieh Wen-ya, president of the Legislative Yuan, presided.
The 9 good men and 50 good deed doers are selected for:
- Contributing to national reconstruction.
- Promoting social welfare.
- Abetting social reform.
- Developing traditional Chinese virtues.
- Enthusiasm in serving the public good.
Good men and good deed doers were given rousing welcome by the people of Taipei. They came from all parts of Taiwan. Several were foreigners.
Investors honored at Taipei ceremony
Ten persons were cited at a Taipei ceremony sponsored by the China Young Founders' Association for their inventions.
The screening was carried out by the China Youth Corps, Vocational Assistance Commission for the Youths, Central Standard Bureau, Hsieh Chi Industrial Association and the Hung Chien-chuan Educational and Cultural Foundation.
Seven inventors and three "innovators" aged from 20 to 59 were chosen from among 269 candidates.
The seven inventors are Huang Shih-tse, Liu Hsing-chin, Su Chiang-shui, Chen Chung-te, Wang A-chin, Huang Ying-shou and Lin Min-hsiung. The innovators are Yang Chun-wei, Li Wu-shih and Wu Yu-shan.
Industrialists have been called upon to pay more attention to inventions and provide more money for advanced research.