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Posted on 2008/07/24 17:11
Subject: Legislative Speaker Heads to U.S. With Vow to Pursue Stronger Relations
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With U.S.
Legislative speaker Wang Jin-ping has left for the U.S. ... vowing that
Taiwan will pursue stronger relations with the United States despite the
thawing ties between Taiwan and China.
As he prepared to leave Wang said, even if cross-Taiwan Strait relations
continue to develop smoothly, Taiwan will further reinforce its links
with the United States in order to strike a balance in its relations with
Beijing and Washington.
Wang said he will clearly relay this stance to U.S. political and opinion
leaders and think tanks during his visit.
At the invitation of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, Wang will
visit Washington D.C. and other U.S. cities, including New York, through
Aug. 3.
Wang indicated that regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, he will also take
the opportunity to highlight Taiwan's military procurement needs to the U.S.
and push for a Taiwan-U.S. free trade agreement.
(jm)
Subject: Sports Chief: Team Will Leave Olympics if China Uses "China Taipei"
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The head of the nation's Sports Affairs Council says Taiwan's Olympic team
will not participate in the upcoming Games if Beijing insists on using the
term "China Taipei" to describe it.
Dai Xia-ling says Chinese Taipei, or Zhong-hua Taipei, is the country's
official Olympic title, as laid out in an agreement in 1981 with the
International Olympic Committee.
As for the Chinese translation of that, Dai says Taiwan and China agreed in
1989 to use the term "Zhong-hua Taipei".
While Dai says media outlets can use whichever term they want as they were
not included in the agreement, she say Beijing must use the official title as
agreed upon.
She said that if Beijing decides to use Zhong-Guo Taipei, or China Taipei, in
an attempt to belittle Taiwan, then Taiwan's national team will leave the
games in protest.
(EG)
Subject: Premier Appoints New Head to Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation
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Premier Liu Chao-shiuan has given approval for veteran economist Xue Qi to
serve as chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation.
Cabinet spokeswoman Vanessa Shi announced the premier's decision to appoint
Xue, a former president of the Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance and vice
chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development.
Xue will take over from Wu Rong-i, although the changeover date has not yet
been decided.
Xue said that South Korea is working toward becoming the capital-raising
center in northeast Asia, and if Taiwan also wants to fill that role in the
region, its most important task is to expand the scope of its market.
He said that after taking up the new post, he will make an effort to lure
Taiwan businesses back home to list their companies on the domestic market.
He added, the more investors we have in the nation's capital market the
better, and we'll work toward increasing the number of listed companies here.
(jm)
Subject: Taiwan Rep To U.S. Says Extradition Agreement Priority
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Taiwan's new representative to the United States promised that he will give
priority to efforts to forge an extradition agreement between Taiwan and
the United States after he assumes office next month.
Jason Yuan made the pledge after paying a call on Minister of Justice
Wang Qing-feng.
Wang also asked Yuan to help arrange the resumption of talks on mutual
assistance in criminal justice, and noted that Taiwan would also like to
arrange for its prosecutors to work as interns in U.S. government agencies
or judicial institutions.
The Ministry of Justice reportedly sent officials to Washington in
March to discuss the possibility of the U.S. State Department and the
U.S. Department of Justice signing an extradition agreement with Taiwan.
However, officials here say Washington was lukewarm to the proposal given
the lack of diplomatic ties.
Wang still thinks it might be possible to find terms under which Washington
would agree.
A number of wanted economic criminals from Taiwan are still believed to be in
the U.S. out of the reach of the law ... most notably Rebar Group founder
Wang Yo-zeng.
(jm)
Subject: Presidential Office Expresses Regret Over Attack on Former President
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The Presidential Office today broke its silence over Monday's attack on
former president Chen Shui-bian outside the Taipei courthouse.
Presidential spokesman Wang Yu-qi today said the Presidential Office condemns
all types of violence ... both physical and verbal ... and wishes Chen a
speedy recovery.
Both Chen and the DPP have criticized President Ma Ying-jeou for staying
silent in the wake of the attack ... with DPP lawmakers saying that staying
quiet is an indication that Ma condones violence.
Su An-Shen -- who is a member of a radical pro-unification group ... walked
up to Chen ahead of a court appearance on Monday ... and gave the former head
of state a stiff boot to the back.
Su, who has previously been convicted on charges ranging from attempted
homicide, forgery and theft -- was detained for three days over the incident.
The former president later went to the hospital and after being examined was
determined to have suffered a spinal injury.
He later filed a lawsuit against his attacker.
(jm)
Subject: Tourism Bureau Says Chinese Tourists Satisfied
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A survey by the Tourism Bureau here shows an overwhelming majority of the
first batch of Chinese tourists formally allowed to make sightseeing
trips to Taiwan via direct charter flights were satisfied with their
local tours.
Based on questionnaires handed to more Chinese tourists who arrived in
Taiwan July 4 on maiden direct weekend cross-strait charter flights,
more than 90 percent of those who responded gave either a "very good" or
"good" rating for the overall treatment they received during their package
tours in Taiwan.
Asked about their views on commodity prices at stores where the travel
agencies had arranged for them to shop, more than 70 percent said the
pricing was generally reasonable.
Most tourists were also satisfied with their lodgings, saying that hotel
accommodations were cozy and clean.
Some respondents said they felt their travel schedules were too hectic and
that they plan to make longer trips or go backpacking in the future.
Under new regulations that went into effect This month ... 3,000 Chinese
tourists are now allowed to visit Taiwan daily.
(jm)
Subject: Record high temp in Taipei at 37.3
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The highest temperature nationwide so far this year appeared in Taipei at
37.3 degrees around noon today... as a strong high-pressure system lingers
over Taiwan.
The Central Weather Bureau says with the high-pressure system not showing any
sign of subsiding, it will continue to push a tropical depression, currently
located 1,200 kilometers east of Taiwan, toward us.
CWB forecasters say the chances of this depression turning into a storm are
high as it has intensified over the past 24 hours.
At the moment it's moving very slowly, and the CWB predicts that it will
start affecting Taiwan this Sunday and moves through the northern parts of
Taiwan Monday.
Meanwhile it'll be clear and hot tonight and tomorrow across the nation, with
possible afternoon thunder showers in mountainous areas.
(JL)
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Jul 24 Thu 22:52-Taipei
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