Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian presided over a recycled computers donation ceremony Monday, saying that he hopes Taiwan can become not just an information giant but also "a country with love."
To reduce the digital divide between urban and rural areas and to promote the idea of recycling, a campaign organized by the Office of the President, the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration and the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, as well as the Institute for Information Industry, has been under way for some time and has received an enthusiastic response from the private sector. A total of 571 recycled computers were collected under the campaign.
Chen expressed gratitude to those who have donated these recycled computers, which will be sent to several underprivileged groups around Taiwan, including nursing homes for the elderly, elementary schools in remote areas and rehabilitation centers.
In September, Chen went to an elementary school in a remote area of Taichung County to donate recycled computers and said at the time that he was pleased to see that many students living in remote areas have excelled in computer software design competitions.
On Friday, Chen announced that the campaign results have so far reached their targets and he urged the sponsors to continue the donations as a way of expressing love to the underprivileged groups.