COA confirms plagiarism in research report led by Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang

COA confirms plagiarism in research report led by Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang

2023-01-18

Last year before the local elections, Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang was hit with plagiarism accusations. One of them was that he had plagiarized a research project he led with a grant from the Council of Agriculture while working at the tech firm Acer. The Council of Agriculture on Wednesday determined that Chang had indeed plagiarized materials and is now seeking a refund of some of the grant money. That could be between 5% and 10% of the original sum of NT$57.36 million. Let’s hear what Chang has to say.

Simon Chang
Taoyuan mayor
I think there is no point in continuing to discuss this matter of plagiarism after the elections. I believe Acer will deal with the matter properly. Acer was the contracted party. That’s the first part. The second part is, if you ask me to weigh in, I can’t, because since my inauguration on Dec. 25 the only thing on my mind has been city governance. I don’t think about that at all. It’s a matter that brings no interference on our city’s administration and in the promotion of city policies.

Chang did not comment on the results of the investigation, saying that the matter did not concern him. The Council of Agriculture says it carried a proofreading of the suspect report via computer software and also by having readers identify problematic passages. The council found that there were indeed missing citations, and sections that closely resembled the sources in question.

農委會認定張善政抄襲將向宏碁追討經費

2023-01-18

桃園市長張善政，去年選舉前，遭爆料任職宏碁期間，擔任農委會計畫主持人，計畫案整體多篇報告疑似抄襲。農委會經過三次專案小組會議後，認定違反委辦計畫契約規範，預計依照比例追回部分計畫經費，推估占比約5%至10%。

[[桃園市長張善政]]
“我覺得選舉已經過了，還在炒作這個議題，實在是沒有什麼意思，那麼我相信宏碁公司會妥善處理，宏碁公司是簽約單位，這是第一點，第二點，你如果問我說我自己感覺(是)什麼，我從12/25上任以後，滿腦袋都是市政，老實說我不會去想這個事情，這個事情對我在執行市政上面，推動市政上面，沒有任何的困擾”

桃園市長張善政撇清責任，對於抄襲認定結果，不予理會。不過農委會聲明，專案小組除了透過比對軟體進行文字分析，還進一步以人工方式，逐篇確認原始文獻對應情形。與會委員一致確認，文字重複部分與參考文獻"實質近似"。

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After Lai swore-in as party chair, pro-Taiwan associations on Wednesday held a joint conference to congratulate the newly elected chairman. They praised him for possessing the qualities of a good leader and hoped he could reform the DPP and repivot the party back to its founding principles.

Chanting slogans of endorsement, heads of pro-Taiwan NGOs congratulate Vice President Lai ching-te on being elected DPP chair.

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He stands for justice, like late justice Minister Chen Ding-nan and former DPP Chair Lin Yi-hsiung. Late President Lee Teng-hui once praised him, saying he’s the best leader for the people of Taiwan.

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Tsai Ing-wen’s presidency over the last couple of years did, of course, deliver on some aspects. But because her political career didn’t originate from the DPP, she’s probably not as familiar with the DPP’s founding principles. We hope Chair Lai will stand firmly by Taiwan’s position, and stand firmly against the mafia. Let us unite Taiwan, and fight against China to protect Taiwan.

The pro-Taiwan leaders said Lai has what it takes to lead Taiwan. They also called on him to reform the DPP to make improvements and address disputes within the party.

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Those voices within the party must be heard. Of course we should respect democratic procedures. I believe Lai once said it’s OK to criticize and hold different opinions, but they should not be based on false accusations. I think that’s most important.

The NGO leader hoped that Lai can return to the DPP’s liberal and pro-Taiwan roots. Recently, Taiwan independence hardliners have said that Lai’s latest slogan of “sustaining peace to protect Taiwan” means he’s softening his stance for Taiwan’s statehood independent from the R.O.C. The head of an expat organization said that was not the case, saying that Lai has always worked for Taiwan’s best interests.

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I wonder if pro-China media outlets are manipulating the issue. Even before he became vice president in 2020, he’s been to the U.S. and communicated with U.S. administrative and legislative bodies and think tanks. He even communicated well with the Taiwanese expat community and gained our support. The president and vice president’s cooperation is in Taiwan’s best interests and in the U.S.’ best interests and we’re all on the same page here.

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Keelung is shocked to discover a tiny lake shaped like Taiwan

Keelung denizens have been amazed by a discovery in their backyard. A tiny lake, shaped very much like the landmass of Taiwan, has come to light. After the lake appeared on Google Maps, photographer Hsieh Chih-huang set out to learn more about the body of water. His drone photos show that the small lake has an uncanny resemblance to the shape of Taiwan.But how can it be that locals are unaware of a lake on their doorstep? We asked a couple of experts to explain.

A strange sight emerges in the middle of a forest of greens. The clear and still lake reflects the blue sky perfectly. It’s hidden in this hillside forest. When a drone photographer spotted the landmark on a map, his curiosity was whetted, and he decided to seek it out.

Hsieh Chih-huang
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Many months ago, Google marked it as Lion Ball Lake on the map. I could hardly find any information about it on Google. So I sent my drone up to take a look. Although the lake is very small, it’s shaped just like Taiwan.

You can find the lake yourself on Google Maps, marked as “Lion Ball Lake” or Shiqiuhu. It’s on a small hill near Maijin Road in the Anle District of Keelung. With no records or photos of the lake online, the lake is unknown even to most local people.

Hsieh Wei-jen
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Regarding the existence of this lake, to be honest it’s news to me! I would never walk in that direction, neither when walking on the hill or when exercising.

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Everyone living in Keelung ignores it, or don’t even know there is a small lake there. Someone commented on Facebook that they had been there before, and when he went up, he even saw a swimming ring there.

There’s no road passing through near here. You have to walk up from the mountain path to reach the secret spot. The lake is also high up and there’s no river feeding it. For most people, that sounds like an impossible place to find a lake. What’s going on?

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It’s possible that no river supplies this body of water. It might be a tectonic lake, which is basically a geological phenomenon, causing a depression in the ground which then accumulates rainwater.

This professor thinks the lake has been caused by shifting earth, which might be why it’s so unfamiliar to local people. But now with a drone in the sky to provide a photoshoot, this tiny Taiwan of water has come to light.

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