THE CICM MISSION LEAD BY THREE FOREIGN PRIEST

Three Catholic priests from Belgium have been granted permanent residence in Taiwan in recognition of
their long-term humanitarian work in the country, the National Immigration Agency said on Sunday.

The semi-retired priests, Anthony Maes, Marcel Goffart and Willy Ollevier, received permanent
residence cards on Saturday, which entitle them to reduced public transportation fares and reduced
entry fees to educational and recreational venues, the agency said.

They have all been in Taiwan for 40 years doing charity and missionary work, the agency said.

In addition to spreading the gospel, the priests have cared for disadvantaged groups, agency -Director-
General Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功) said.

The priests are based at the Taiwan branch of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(CICM), which celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday.

CICM MISSION

The CICM’s mission includes providing free shelter for the homeless, helping underprivileged workers
and assisting children from single-parent families.

Maes, 79, was quoted in the media as saying that during his service at a shelter in Taipei, he has seen
many homeless people come and go and what made him most happy was when they managed to get
back on their feet.

“I was especially moved to see them become willing to go home or find a job,” he said.

Goffart, 74, who directed Taiwan’s first St Therese of Lisieux Church, organizes after-school programs for
disadvantaged children.

Ollevier works with workers who need assistance. For example, he might help them in seeking
compensation when they have suffered occupational accidents.

“Giving a timely helping hand actually saved a whole family,” he said in a report in the Chinese-language
China Times.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Over four-fifths of the people are descendants of Han Chinese settlers who came to the island in the
seventeenth through nineteenth centuries from southeastern China. They were joined in 1949 by
remnants of the Nationalist party and army that left China after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War
(1927–1949). The island's original inhabitants ( Yuanzhumin ), who are related to Malayo-Polynesian
peoples of Southeast Asia, have lived on the island for thousands of years.

The culture is a blend of aboriginal cultures, Taiwanese folk cultures, Chinese classical culture, and
Western-influenced modern culture. The Nationalists have failed to impose a Chinese national culture
on the island, and the potential for a Taiwanese national culture is held in check by both the Nationalists
and the People's Republic of China (PRC) as they contest the country's sovereignty.

LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY

Taiwan lies between Japan and Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. The total area is 13,800
square miles, (32,260 square kilometers). A massive mountain range covers two-thirds of the island and
includes East Asia's highest peak, Yü Shan. The subtropical climate is affected by two weather patterns: a
continental monsoon that brings cool, wet weather to the northern half of the island between October
and March and an ocean monsoon that brings rain to the southern half between April and September.

POVERT YRATE

Poverty in Taiwan has almost been eradicated, with less than 1 percent of the population (129,968
people or 56,720 households) considered as poor or belonging to the low-income bracket. This means
that more than 99 percent of the population enjoys the benefits of Taiwan's economic prosperity and
greatly improved quality of life.

ECONOMY

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan proportionally contains less people living in poverty than any other
country in Asia, according to statistics obtained by an independent research center in the United States.
Figures from the Pew Research Center show that almost no Taiwanese citizens live on less than US$2
(NT$63) dollars per day. Furthermore, only 0.7 percent of the population live on between US$2-10 per
day According to these measures, Taiwan contains the largest proportion of people with a “high
income” in Asia. In Taiwan, 33.8 percent of citizens live on over US$50 per day. Those in Taiwan living on
between US$20-50 per day make up 56.8 percent of the population. Less than 9 percent live on
between US$10-20 per day. According to the statistics, while only 0.78 percent of China’s population
enjoys a “high income,” only 0.93 percent now live below the poverty line. Economic development over
the past several decades has pulled hundreds of millions of Chinese out of poverty, CSIS reported. Much
of the growth in its middle class, which had swelled to 531 million people in 2013, occurred within the
“lower-middle” income bracket. Changing social demographics are bringing new challenges to China, the
report stated.
GOVERNMENT

the government has acknowledged that its jurisdiction extends only to the areas it controls. The
president and legislators, therefore, are elected by and accountable to the people of those areas only.
Lights illuminate the historic Presidential Office Building in Taipei City.

Lights illuminate the historic Presidential Office Building in Taipei City. (Tsai Chi-lin) In accordance with
constitutional amendments promulgated in June 2005, the number of seats in the Legislative Yuan was
halved from 225 to 113 and legislators’ terms were increased from three to four years. Under the new
legislative election system, each electoral district elects just one seat. Each voter casts two ballots—one
for the district and the other for at-large seats. The power to ratify constitutional amendments is now
exercised by citizens through referendums.

Levels of Government The central government comprises the presidency and five major branches, or
yuans. The local governments at present include those of six special municipalities, 13 counties and
three autonomous municipalities with the same hierarchical status as counties. Beginning in 2014, all
heads and representatives of local governments are popularly elected simultaneously in cities and
counties across Taiwan every four years. In addition, there are 198 county-administered townships and
cities, as well as 170 districts—including six indigenous mountain districts—in autonomous and special
municipalities.

Special municipalities are top-level administrative entities that fall under the direct jurisdiction of the
central government. They play an important role in leading regional development. This status gives
access to greater funding and the opportunity to set up additional agencies and employ more civil
servants. The six special municipalities are, in order of population, New Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung,
Taipei, Taoyuan and Tainan cities.

Presidency and Premiership The president and vice president are directly elected, serve terms of four
years and may be re-elected for one additional term. The president is head of state and commander in
chief of the armed forces, represents the nation in foreign relations, and is empowered to appoint heads
of four branches of the government, including the premier, who leads the Executive Yuan, or Cabinet,
and must report regularly to the Legislative Yuan, or Legislature. The heads of ministries, commissions
and agencies under the Executive Yuan are appointed by the premier and form the Executive Yuan
Council. To improve administrative effectiveness, the Executive Yuan is undergoing restructuring to
reduce the number of Cabinet-level organizations from 37 to 29.

After the reorganization, which commenced at the start of 2012, the Executive Yuan will consist of 14
ministries, eight councils, three independent agencies and four other organizations. Under the ROC
Constitution, neither the president’s appointment of the premier nor the premier’s appointment of
ministers is subject to legislative confirmation. Presidential appointment of the members of the Control
Yuan and the Examination Yuan, as well as justices of the Judicial Yuan, must be confirmed by the
Legislature. Lawmakers elect the president of the Legislature, or speaker, from among their ranks.

LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

Political Parties Given the key role of the presidency in the overall functioning of the government, the
term “ruling party” denotes which political party occupies the Presidential Office. The Kuomintang held
the presidency in Taiwan for more than five decades before the Democratic Progressive Party won the
2000 and 2004 presidential elections.The KMT returned to power in 2008 and in 2012. The DPP won the
2016 presidential election, marking the third transition of power since the country’s democratization. In
the January 2016 legislative elections, the DPP gained 60 percent of the seats in the Legislature, while
the KMT secured 31 percent.