Premier Chiang Ching-kuo traveled recently to Taichung, Miaoli and Hsinchu counties to inspect the local administrations and the price situations. He said he appreciated the unity of the people toward local construction. He instructed the county governments to do a good job of conducting the elections scheduled to be held on Nov. 19, 1977. Premier Chiang talkedwith residents of Tachen Village in Hsinchu. The villagers expressed thanks that the government had taken good care of them since they came to Taiwan from Tachen Tao (Island),Chekiang Province, in February 1955.
Judge Sloyd V. Hull, sponsor of the World Senior Little League Baseball Tournament, Mrs. Hull and Ms. Virginia Young, Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U. S. A., arrived in Taipei on June 20. They were greeted by Hsieh Kuo-cheng, board Chairman of the Chinese Baseball Association and Mrs. Hsieh at Taipei International Airport. During their one-week visit, the Floridans met with all the players who had taken part in the World Senior Little League Series in Fort Lauderdale in the past, and exchanged souvenirs with their Chinese friends.
Three freedom seekers, Shaw Shi-yen, Kao Yao-chung and Liu Ching-shi, who fled the Communist regime 15 years ago and came to the Republic of China, were among the graduates of National Taiwan University on June 16. They attracted much attention in the graduation ceremony. Liu and Kao majored in history, Shaw in foreign languages and literature. As they received their diplomas from Presient Yen Chen-hsing, they were fervently applauded by the audience. They said that they feel fortunate to live in a free land where they can study, work and live without restriction, and that they are proud of their choice of freedom.
Squadron leader Fan Yuan-yen of the Chinese Communist air force flew his MIG19 jet fighter from Fukien province to Taiwan on July 7, the 40th anniversary of the start of the War of Resistance Against the Japanese. The fifth defection of a Chinese Communist airman in the last two decades was warmly welcomed by the people of the Republic of China and millions of overseas Chinese. Fan said he defected because he could not stand life under the Communists any longer and wanted to tell the free world about conditions on the Chinese mainland. Speaking at a press conference July 8, he said that mainland living conditions are deplorable, the Chinese Communist power struggle is continuing without hope of resolution and that the military equipment of the Peiping regime is obsolete and does not pose any offensive threat.