Pacers top Nuggets in Taiwan's NBA exhibition
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- In the first NBA preseason game played in Taiwan, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Denver Nuggets 126-104 on Thursday.

Taiwan's Chen, wife sentenced to life
Former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian was convicted Friday on corruption and money laundering charges, and was sentenced to life in prison, according to officials at Taipei City Court.

Taiwan premier quits over typhoon response
Taiwan's premier resigned over criticism of the government's response to Typhoon Morakot, which slammed into the island last month.

Taiwan's former first lady sentenced
A court in Taiwan has sentenced the island's former first lady to a year in prison for lying to prosecutors in her husband's corruption case.

China cancels events over Dalai Lama
China -- showing its displeasure with the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan this week -- has canceled upcoming trips to the island by top state officials, state-run media reported.

In Taiwan, Dalai Lama disputes China's claims
The Dalai Lama -- on a visit to Taiwan that includes prayers for recent typhoon victims -- has rebutted China's claims that he is there for political reasons.

Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan
The Dalai Lama arrived in Taiwan on Sunday on a visit that will include prayers for victims of Typhoon Morakot, but which has raised the ire of neighboring China.

Dalai Lama to arrive in Taiwan on Sunday
The Dalai Lama will arrive in Taiwan on Sunday for a trip that will include praying for victims of Typhoon Morakot, his spokesman told CNN.

Typhoon death toll in Taiwan climbs higher
The number of people killed by a typhoon that slammed into Taiwan and China earlier this month continues to rise, Taiwan announced Thursday.

China opposes Dalai Lama's Taiwan visit
China "resolutely opposes" a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Thursday, hours after Taiwan's president announced the visit.

Taiwan death toll 'higher than feared'
A typhoon that struck Taiwan and China earlier this month killed more people in Taiwan than previous estimates, the government announced.

President Ma says sorry again for typhoon response
Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou apologized again today for the slow response to Typhoon Morakot and said he plans sweeping changes to the country's rescue agencies and may punish some government officials.

Hundreds stranded in typhoon-hit Taiwan
Hundreds of people await evacuation in Taiwan more than a week after Typhoon Morakot pummeled the island, a government Web site said Monday.

Taiwan's leader takes blame for typhoon response
Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government's slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods, mudslides and misery.

Taiwanese call for souls to come home
Grieving Taiwanese families held roadside memorial services Saturday to honor those killed by Typhoon Morakot.

1,300 still trapped after Taiwan typhoon
More than 1,300 people are still trapped in remote mountainous villages in southern Taiwan, victims of treacherous mudslides and floods from Typhoon Morakot, the country's semiofficial Central News Agency said Saturday.

Taiwan village buried in mud
A survivor from the typhoon that devastated Taiwan told how she and her grandson were surrounded by rising water in their mountain village.

Countries pledge aid to Taiwan
More countries pledged aid to Taiwan on Friday, days after Typhoon Morakot battered the island and left dozens of villages deluged with floodwaters, killing 116 people.

Typhoon survivors find sanctuary in school
In the foothills of the Central Mountain chain in southern Taiwan, a rescue helicopter lowers itself onto an athletic field in the town of Nei Pu.

Deadly mudslides strike across East Asia
The wrath of Typhoon Morakot has affected nearly 9 million people across four coastal China provinces and killed dozens in Taiwan, officials said Tuesday.

Report: Hundreds survive typhoon in Taiwan
Military rescue teams in Taiwan found hundreds of villagers stranded by Typhoon Morakot along the island's mountainous regions, media reported.

Deadly typhoon causes Taiwan's worst flooding in decades
A mudslide triggered by torrential rains may have buried up to 800 villagers in southern Taiwan, media reports said Monday, as the country counted the cost of its worst flooding in decades.

Typhoon Morakot lashes Taiwan
Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island.

Earthquake strikes Taiwan region
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Taiwan region early Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

China's economy, Taiwan top Wen's address
China's National People's Congress convened Thursday in Beijing, with Premier Wen Jiabao saying China's economy eyed an 8 percent growth target and that the nation was ready to end "a state of hostility" with Taiwan.

Taiwan citizens get vouchers to go shopping
More than 90 percent of eligible Taiwan residents took up the government's offer of 3600 New Taiwan Dollars (USD $108) to go shopping, government officials said Monday.

China sends goodwill pandas to Taiwan
Two giant pandas arrived in Taiwan Tuesday after leaving China's Sichuan province for their new home, in a sign of improving ties between the cross-strait neighbors.

China, Taiwan reopen regular links
Regularly scheduled commercial flights, shipping, and mail between Taiwan and China resumed Monday for the first time since the 1949 revolution that brought the Communist Party to power on the Chinese mainland.

Court orders detention of Taiwan ex-president
A judge ordered the former president of Taiwan detained Wednesday on corruption charges, just hours after he was taken to a hospital after he accused police of pushing and rough-handling him before he appeared in court in Taipei, according to state-run media.

Taiwanese leader meets Chinese envoy
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met Thursday with the most senior Chinese official to visit the island in nearly 60 years, state-run media reported.

China envoy arrives in Taiwan on rare visit
The most senior Chinese official to visit Taiwan in nearly 60 years arrived on the island Monday for economic talks -- a sign of improving relations.

Taiwan President Faces Growing Opposition
As the market meltdown hits Taiwan's shores, president Ma Ying-jeou faces slipping approval ratings and hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in protest. Will his controversial policy of mending ties with China survive?

China nixes U.S. meetings over Taiwan arms deal
China has canceled or postponed several military exchanges with the U.S. in reaction to last week's announcement that the U.S. is selling weapons to Taiwan, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday.

U.S. to sell $6.4 billion in weapons to Taiwan
In a move bound to anger China, the United States intends to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, the State Department said Friday.

Taiwan: Melamine Found in Nestle Milk Powder
Tests in Taiwan have found minor doses of the industrial chemical melamine in milk powders produced in China by the European food giant Nestle, and those products are being withdrawn

Punishment for 15 senior officials in Taiwan nuke mishap
The Air Force disciplined 15 senior officers, including six generals and nine colonels, for their roles in the mistaken shipment of nuclear weapons components to Taiwan, Air Force officials announced Thursday.

Typhoon Floods Low-Lying Taiwan Areas
Typhoon Sinlaku slammed into Taiwan with heavy rain and strong winds Sunday, flooding low-lying regions

Typhoon Sinlaku dumps rain on Taiwan
Typhoon Sinlaku was moving slowly toward the northern shores of Taiwan on Saturday, promising to dump heavy rain on on the region as it crawls north.

Another Political Storm Hits Taiwan
In a major blow to his DPP party, the family of Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian is accused of misusing millions of campaign dollars

Taiwan Ex-Pres Alleged $ Laundering
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's son and daughter-in-law returned home Monday from the United States, insisting they are innocent of any criminal role in an alleged money laundering scandal involving their family

Talking to Taiwan's New President
TIME talks to Taiwan's new leader Ma Ying-jeou about making friends with Beijing -- and how Taiwan could change China

Ma Ying-jeou: Creating closer ties
Elected with the largest margin of victory in the history of Taiwan's presidential elections, President Ma Ying-jeou is aiming to bring the good times back to Taiwan while looking to a friendlier future with China.

Tropical storm 'kills 14' in Taiwan
A tropical storm that lashed Taiwan on Friday killed at least 14 people, according to Taiwanese media reports.

Historic China-Taiwan flights begin
The first regular charter flights between China's mainland and Taiwan began Friday in a sign of warming relations between Beijing and Taipei.

Taiwan to Welcome Chinese Tourists
Taiwan's tourist attractions have a fresh coat of paint and restaurants are laying on special buffet lunches in anticipation of a surge in visitors from China when regular commercial flights between the old foes start Friday

China and Taiwan reopen talks
Chinese and Taiwanese officials agreed Thursday to set up permanent offices in each other's territories, in the first formal talks between the two sides in almost a decade.

China, Taiwan seek talks as relations warm
Chinese President Hu Jintao called for a resumption of talks "as early as possible" with Taiwan during a meeting with the island's ruling party's chairman in Beijing, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Taiwan Pres Doubts China Unification
Taiwan's new leader Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that unification with longtime rival China is unlikely "in our lifetimes" because the Taiwanese oppose the mainland's authoritarian rule

Return to Sender: The US Nuke Slip
The Pentagon plans to probe a politically sensitive 'misshipment' of nuclear missile components to Taiwan - Beijing's arch-nemesis

U.S. says missile parts mistakenly sent to Taiwan
The U.S. Defense Department accidentally shipped ballistic missile components to Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Pentagon Admits Arms Shipment Flub
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that it mistakenly shipped non-nuclear components for an intercontinental ballistic missile to Taiwan from a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming

Taiwan votes, with China on minds
Voters in Taiwan on Saturday headed to the polls to vote in presidential elections, with the recent violence in Tibet in the backdrop and Taiwan's own relations with China on the front burner.

Opposition sweep to victory in Taiwan
Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party won a landslide victory in legislative elections Saturday, giving a big boost to its policy of closer engagement with China two months before a presidential poll it now seems poised to win.

Typhoon pounds Taiwan, China
Typhoon Wipha, with wind gusts up to 185 mph (298 kph), forced schools and businesses in Taiwan to close Tuesday as it churned toward the central Chinese coast.

Taiwan's War of Words with the U.S.
Taipei's bid for U.N. membership was always sure to anger Beijing. But President Chen Shui-bian has riled allies in Washington as well

Hundreds of thousands flee typhoon
Typhoon Sepat lashed Taiwan with strong winds and torrential rain on Saturday, cutting power supplies to nearly 57,000 homes, injuring 12 people and forcing more than a thousand others to evacuate, before ploughing on toward China.

Typhoon Sepat hammers Taiwan
Strong wind and rains lashed Taiwan as Typhoon Sepat made landfall on Saturday, cutting power supplies to more than 70,000 homes and forcing airlines to delay flights.

Quakes strike off Taiwan; tsunami appears unlikely
Two earthquakes struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster that left more than 200,000 dead.

Misreading Missiles
Asia has more geopolitical hot spots than any region in the world. Political analysts and investors worry that North Korea might stumble into nuclear war with the U.S., that China might invade Taiw...

Typhoon, quake leave Taiwan shaken, stirred
As typhoon Longwang approached Taiwan, a moderate earthquake shook the island, prompting some residents to flee their homes.

Son: Father innocent of spy charge
The son of an American being held under house arrest in China on suspicion of conducting espionage for Taiwan said his father is an apolitical businessman who has no contacts in Taiwan and no dealings with any government agencies there.

Typhoon strengthens near Taiwan
A powerful typhoon in the East China Sea near Taiwan has intensified, with winds of 148 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour) and gusts up to 185 km/h (115 mph), the CNN Weather Center says.

Thousands flee as storm hits China
China evacuated more than 1 million residents along its southeastern coast as a typhoon that devastated Taiwan hit the mainland on Tuesday.

Taiwan leader urges China talks
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has urged Beijing to negotiate with his government days after a landmark meeting between the island's opposition leader and China's president.

Foes put past behind them in China
Taiwan's opposition leader and Chinese President Hu Jintao have vowed to work together at the first meeting between the rivals in half a century.

China woos Taiwan non-separatists
An intriguing calm has settled on the Taiwan Strait as the Chinese Communist Party administration focuses on united-front tactics to woo non-separatist elements in the "breakaway province" of Taiwan.

China condemns Taiwan protests
A massive protest in Taiwan against China's new anti-secession laws is a misuse of people power, Chinese media said on Monday.

Taiwan: War bill a big provocation
Taiwan's government has warned that China's new anti-secession law is a "war bill" that will have a "serious impact" on security in the region.

Beijing lays down law over Taiwan
China has unveiled a controversial new law that would allow Beijing to use military action against Taiwan if peaceful means fail to stop the island pursuing independence.

U.S. urges China to rethink Taiwan law
The Bush administration has labelled as "unhelpful" a Chinese law authorizing the use of military force to prevent Taiwan from formally declaring its independence and urged Beijing to reconsider the measure.

New law sparks Taiwan protests
Thousands of people in Taiwan have taken to the streets to protest China's planned anti-secession law.

China: No independence for Taiwan
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao opened the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing by saying a planned anti-secession law would never permit independence for Taiwan.

China congress opens
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is delivering his opening address at the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

Taiwan president quits party post
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian has resigned as leader of his party, taking the blame for a weekend legislative election defeat.

Taiwan says no to new mandate
The people of Taiwan have said no to a new mandate to accelerate President Chen Shui-bian's pro-independence policies.

Upset win for Taiwan opposition
Taiwan's opposition has won a legislative majority in a stunning upset over President Chen Shui-Bian's pro-independence coalition.

Strong quake rattles Taiwan
A large earthquake centered off Taiwan's eastern coast shook buildings in the capital of Taipei, damaging buildings and injuring several people, officials said.

Taiwan's Chen asks China to talk
Taiwan's leader has used his National Day speech to urge China to begin talks so that the two rivals can avoid war.

Where Hu stands on U.S., Taiwan
After patriarch Jiang Zemin's long overdue retirement, the Chinese leadership under President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao may pursue a more aggressive policy towards the United States and Taiwan.

Typhoon Aere batters Taipei
A strong typhoon is whirling across northern Taiwan, closing financial markets and schools for a second day.

Taiwan braces for Typhoon Aere
Financial markets, schools and businesses in Taipei and other parts of Taiwan have been shut as a strong typhoon closes in on the island.

Taiwan braces for typhoon Mindulle
Taiwan has issued land and sea warnings for Typhoon Mindulle -- the strongest storm to threaten the island this year -- which is set to brush past on Thursday.

Conflict risks dragging in U.S.
China has long threatened to reunify Taiwan by force if necessary, and has hundreds of missiles in place along its east coast, across the Taiwan strait.

China's war of words
The swearing in of Taiwan's president has given the Chinese government an opportunity to remind Taipei of the consequences of moves towards independence.

Top U.S. Taiwan official resigns
The head of the unofficial U.S. government office handling diplomatic relations with Taiwan has resigned, the State Department says.

China scolds U.S. over radar sale
China has reacted angrily to U.S. plans to sell high tech radar systems to Taiwan, denouncing the move as being against Washington's commitment to Beijing's "one-China" policy.

Clashes as Taiwan mulls recount
Angry protesters have stormed the headquarters of Taiwan's Central Election Commission as it formally declared President Chen Shui-bian the winner of Saturday's disputed poll.

Taiwan grapples with recount plans
Protests rattled Taiwan for a fourth day as the nation's main political parties grappled with competing plans to hold a recount of the weekend's contentious presidential election.

Taiwan riled by poll deadlock
Thousands of opposition supporters have refused to disband protests in Taipei until votes are recounted as conspiracy theories and allegations of fraud swirl around the weekend poll.

Report: Taiwan to seal ballots
Taiwan's high court has ordered all ballot boxes sealed as demonstrators protest the results of presidential elections, according to The Associated Press.

Taiwan: The two candidates
Profiles of the two candidates in Taiwan's presidential election:

Taiwan's first referendum
Taiwan will hold its first-ever referendum to coincide with Saturday's presidential election in a move that has infuriated arch-foe China and alarmed the United States.

Taiwan polls 'could spark crisis'
As campaigning for elections hits full swing across Taiwan the unfolding political drama is reverberating in capitals as far away as Beijing and Washington.

China 'won't meddle' with Taiwan
China has denounced plans by Taiwan's president to push ahead with a poll next month but says it won't interfere.

Unsafe bird culling worries WHO
Chicken cullers across Asia have been warned to wear protective clothing or risk catching the lethal bird flu and creating a global epidemic.

China spy drama aims to spook Chen
Cross-Straits propaganda warfare over a number of mainland-based "Taiwan spies" has shifted into a higher gear with Beijing allowing family members to visit two of the alleged spooks.

Why Taiwan May Be Next To Fall
The dismal list is familiar: high debt, rising bankruptcies, falling real estate prices, low returns on capital, bad loans, and bank balance sheets curling at the edges. But this isn't Japan we're ...

Capital Controls Done Right SOUND MONETARY POLICY, MADE IN TAIWAN
It is true that in general, capital controls don't work. But one Asian country suggests that under special circumstances they can. We refer, of course, to Taiwan.

DIRE STRAITS A WORRIED TAIWAN IS TRYING TO STEM THE TIDE OF INVESTMENT IN CHINA. THAT STRATEGY COULD SINK ITS ECONOMY.
In the heart of downtown Taipei, a bronze statue of the Generalissimo seems to brood over his legacy. Chiang Kai-shek, visitors to his memorial are told, was "the first statesman of world stature t...

LOOK WHO'S BUYING U.S. REAL ESTATE
Cash-rich Asian buyers, led by Chinese investors from Hong Kong and Taiwan, are on a spree buying U.S. office buildings, hotels, and condos. Unlike the wave of Japanese who paid premium prices for ...

Taiwan: News & Videos about Taiwan - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about Taiwan from CNN.com.

 

Taiwan's forex reserves at record high of US$341 bil.
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's foreign exchange reserves hit a record high of US$341.22 billion at the end of October, the central bank said Friday. The figure is US$8.98 billion up from the end of September, the bank said in a statement on its Web site.

Taiwan targets 2.6% rise in private investments for 2010
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's government aims for private investment to increase 2.6 percent to NT$1.03 trillion next year, from an earlier target of NT$1 trillion for 2009, the economics ministry said in a statement on its Web site yesterday.

Chi Mei says no mass worker movement to TCL
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Chi Mei Optoelectronics, Taiwan's second largest TFT-LCD maker, has denied reports there is a mass migration of employees to TCL Corp., China's biggest television manufacturer, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), yesterday.

NT$ climbs on rising reserves, better exports
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan's dollar rose this week on speculation the improving economy will encourage overseas investors to buy the island's assets.

TAIEX index up 45.59 points on Wall St. rally, looming ECFA
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Taiwan stocks rose yesterday, with the TAIE-- benchmark index increasing 45.59 points, following a rally on Wall Street in overnight trading and signs that a cross-strait financial pact may be signed soon.

Two children killed in apartment building fire
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A fire broke out in a building in Taipei County's Yingge Township and killed two young girls on Nov. 5. When the fire erupted, the 30-year-old father, surnamed Wen, was working in a factory in Taoyuan County.

Students' winter break in 2010 extended to 32 days
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The education minister announced yesterday that the upcoming winter vacation, starting from Jan. 21, will last up to 32 days. As regulated, students from senior high school and below should have a winter vacation of 21 days.

Law to ease pressure on workers repaying loans
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The Legislature yesterday revised a law to ease pressure on workers who are unable to repay loans to the government's labor insurance program.

Pres. Ma vows to help sound development of pro baseball
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - President Ma Ying-jeou vowed yesterday to help professional baseball develop soundly in Taiwan and create an environment that will be free from game-fixing for the players.

Cross-strait efforts bust 24 fraud ring members
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Twenty-four members of a fraud ring have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday in Taiwan and China in a joint cross-strait effort and investigation that spanned several months.

FSC official frustrated by slow progress in MOU talks with China
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in financial supervision as early as possible for mutual benefit, a senior Taiwanese official said yesterday.

Quake prevents future large ones: CWB
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A 6.0-magnitude quake rattled Taiwan yesterday at 5:32 p.m., the largest earthquake to shake the island in a decade, but caused no casualties or severe damage.

42-kilometer marathon kicks off around Taroko gorge
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Up to 10,000 people are scheduled to participate in the marathon in Taroko Gorge in Hualien today and traffic control will be implemented for safety.

Japanese have better image of Pres. Ma: JCCI head Ogura
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - With President Ma Ying-jeou in office for close to a year and a half now, businesspeople in Japan no longer cling to his past reputation as an anti-Japanese Tioyutai warrior but instead are convinced that Taiwan is their best partner for developing the huge potential market in China.

Ex-first lady criticizes frozen family assets
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The wheelchair-bound former first lady Wu Shu-chen yesterday reproached prosecutors for freezing her family's assets, claiming she has been left with only a small sum that can only cover two months of her huge medical expenses.

Law on sexual assault on students strengthened
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A provision to crack down on educators involved in sexual assault scandals with students was revised by the Legislative Yuan yesterday, giving students an additional layer protection.

Man survives 69,000-volt shock from transformer
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A 25-year-old man who attempted to do “research” on a high voltage transformer in Kaohsiung survived a 69,000-volt shock, but is in critical condition from severe burn injuries, local media yesterday reported.

6th grader alerts Tsai's bodyguards to robber
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - An attempted robbery occurring 200 meters from Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen yesterday in Chiayi City was aborted by a quick-thinking sixth grader, who screamed and alerted Tsai's bodyguards and resulted in the robber's arrest.

CPC announces raised prices on domestic gas and diesel oil
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - CPC Corp., Taiwan, a state-run oil company announced raising domestic sales prices for gasoline and diesel oil products by NT$0.6 and NT$1.0 per liter, respectively, effective early this morning under the flexible oil pricing system, according to United Daily News. (UDN)

New methods for cleaning vegetable pesticides: reports
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Soaking vegetables in water for an extended time might do more harm than good.

International high school students speak of life in Taiwan
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A special scholarship program is giving 16 high school students from abroad an inside look at Taiwan, and one student from France admitted Friday that she likes Taiwan's night markets and that oyster omelettes are her favorite local food.

Price of patience? Rare Taiwan shrimp sells for up to US$830
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Rare tiny black and white shrimp raised in Taiwan are selling for as much as US$830 a piece to collectors in Japan, despite short life spans and problems breeding, officials at an exhibition said yesterday.

Taipei starts countdown to 2010 flora expo
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Hau Lung-bin, Mayor of Taipei City, announced yesterday the opening of the Taipei flora expo in a year or exactly 365 days.

Argument between foreign workers ends in explosion
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A quarrel between two groups of foreign workers ended with a deadly act of arson, leaving three dead and seven injured at 3 a.m. yesterday, Taoyuan County.

Premier Wu will quit if allegations proven
(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Premier Wu Den-yih yesterday threatened legal action against a former opposition lawmaker who accused him of colluding with a gangster.

China Post Online - Taiwan , News
Taiwan's leading English-language newspaper since 1952. The China Post Online is the leading online provider of news and business and entertainment information on Taiwan.

 

Life Sentence for Former Taiwanese President

China to Invest in Taiwan
Taiwan will become more dependent upon Beijing as it opens up to Chinese investment.

Taiwan Moves Toward Unity With Communist China
Will Taiwan’s efforts to negotiate with China result in peace or annexation?

Ma Ying-jeou and Taiwan's New Direction
Will Taiwan’s efforts to appease Beijing result in it being annexed by mainland China?

New Taiwanese Government Hopes to Improve Ties With China
Taiwan has a new, pro-Chinese parliament. What will the future between Taiwan and China be?

U.S.-Taiwan Relations Worsen
American support for Taiwan is on the decline; could a betrayal be in its future?

Costa Rica Defects From Taiwan, Other Nations May Follow
Taiwan’s existence as an independent nation is growing more precarious.

Taiwanese President Uncertain About U.S. Support
Taiwan’s existence as an independent body is one of the few areas left in the world that shows the United States’ international power and prestige. But how long will it remain?

Beijing's New Law
China’s new “anti-seccesion” law is causing quite a stir in East Asia. Here’s why this law is, and is not, a big deal.

theTrumpet.com: Taiwan
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.

 

The Taint of Scandal in Taiwan's Pro League
The latest baseball investigation in Taiwan has many gloomy about the future of a sport that has given the island an identity.

A.I.G. Sells Taiwan Unit for $2.15 Billion
American International Group announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to sell its Taiwan life insurance unit to a Hong Kong investor group.

Mining Taiwan's Darker History
''Prince of Tears,'' the latest film by Yonfan, is the first major movie in 20 years to explore the "White Terror" period that followed Taiwan's separation from Communist China.

Taiwan and China
Taipei is slowly and steadily being drawn to the idea of "one country, two systems."

Untold Stories of China and Taiwan
Lung Yingtai’s new book retells the turbulent beginning of the Communist Party in China through the stories of ordinary people, including her own parents.

A Modern Spin on Spirituality
The outdoor exhibition ''Li Chen: Mind.Body.Spirit'' in Singapore shows how the sculptor melds a contemporary style with his study of Buddhism and Taoist philosophies.

Life Sentence for Taiwan Ex-President
Chen Shui-bian, the former president of Taiwan who had been on trial since March for corruption, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

Prime Minister of Taiwan Quits Over Typhoon Response
Prime minister Liu Chao-shiuan of Taiwan resigned after his government was widely criticized for its response to a deadly typhoon. The entire cabinet is to be replaced this week.

California Wins Little League Title
Kiko Garcia pitched three-plus scoreless innings in relief, and Bulla Graft singled in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning.

Dalai Lama Visit Adds to Taiwan Leader’s Troubles
The decision by the president of Taiwan to allow the visit threatens to jeopardize improving relations with China.

Taiwan’s Leader Faces Anger Over Storm Response
The government’s slow response to a storm that left at least 650 people dead or missing has shaken the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou.

Two Taiwan Ministers Offer to Quit Over Typhoon Response
The defense minister and the head of the cabinet were said to have offered to resign Wednesday in the politically charged aftermath of Typhoon Morakot.

Death Toll Is Still Rising After Storm in Taiwan
President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday he expected the number of dead from the typhoon to rise.

Terrifying Ride to Safety for Survivors in Taiwan
Tens of thousands of people are stranded in a necklace of hamlets that extend along the Lao Nong River in Taiwan.

Taiwan President Is Target of Anger After Typhoon
As President Ma Ying-jeou toured a center for survivors, villagers accused him of moving too slowly to help those still trapped in the mountains.

NYT > Taiwan
World news about Taiwan, including breaking news and archival articles published in The New York Times.

 

Japan clarifies warning to Taiwan ship in disputed waters

Premier Wu threatens to sue DPP member over gangster allegations
Premier Wu Den-yih threatened to sue opposition Democratic Progressive Party candidate for Nantou County Magistrate Lee Wen-chung yesterday over allegations he was close to a

Politics
83

 

KMT councilor irate over hybrid buses from China
A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilor yesterday accused the Taipei City Government of subsidizing local bus companies to purchase hybrid buses from China.

Taipei City’s Department of Transportation subsidized Capital Bus Co’s purchase of 60 hybrid buses from China for use during the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hao (王浩) said.

The department also spent more than NT$200 million (US$6.2 million) to subsidize the purchase of 265 low-floor buses last year. Some parts of 131 of these buses were made by a factory in China, Wang said.

“The 60 hybrid buses were to be used during the Beijing Olympics, but China sold the buses to Taipei for use in the flora expo instead. In other words, the city government will use products that were made in China to promote an international event organized by Taipei,” he said in a question-and-answer session at Taipei City Hall.

In addition, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) contracted the construction of platform doors at several stations on the city’s MRT Red Line and Blue Line to a local company, which won the bid with an “extremely low price” of NT$145 million.

Wang said the company was able to bring down its price by subcontracting the project to a company in China.

“Even if the use of Chinese products is not illegal, the city officials should have known better. Chinese companies should not be involved in public construction projects in the country’s capital city,” he said.

In response, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city government would not import any Chinese products banned by the government.

The 131 low-floor buses were assembled in Taiwan in accordance with current regulations, he said.

As for the 60 hybrid buses, Department of Transportation Commissioner Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢) said the department would rescind the subsidy if the buses had indeed been purchased from China.

TRTC president Tsai Huei-sheng (蔡輝昇) said there was nothing in the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ regulations that prohibited the import of platform doors from China.

The company reported the situation to the ministry for further clarification, and will demand that the contractor refrain from using products banned by the government, Tsai said.

One-year countdown to Taipei Flora Expo starts
The Taipei City Government yesterday opened the first exhibition pavilion that will be used in the Taipei International Flora Expo on Zhongshan N Road as the city began the 365-day countdown to the event.

The Butterfly Pavilion, one of 14 that have been constructed or renovated around the city for the expo, resembles a butterfly pupa and will be used as a performance center after the expo next year.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) joined local supermodel Lin Chiling (林志玲) and 365 students in celebrating the completion of the pavilion, which he said was expected to boost the city’s international reputation.

“We are hoping that the expo will introduce Taipei to the world and let the world see Taipei is the same way the Deaflympics did,” he said.

Lin, dressed in clothes decorated with flowers, accepted an invitation to serve as one of the expo’s promotion ambassadors. She said she would use every chance she gets to promote the event.

The expo will be held from Nov. 6 next year until April 25, 2011, at several locations around Taipei City. At least five exhibition pavilions will be established around Yuanshan Park and Xinsheng Park in the city’s Datong District (大同).

Hau said the expo would also boost the development of the district with the construction of pavilions and urban projects.

Local painter develops new acrylic painting style
“Originally I did not expect that an industrial coloring agent could be used for painting, but it has opened up a world of interesting changes in the colors,” said the founder of the “jingcai style” of painting, Lan Chih-kuan. She has applied metallic industrial coloring agents to acrylic boards in creating this new form of painting. Lan and over 20 other local artists who are interested in pursuing this innovative type of painting are working to create a name for themselves in the artistic community. They fell into using these industrial coloring agents by accident. The painter explained that the form that the artwork takes is somewhat similar to that of a block print. The colors used are even more vibrant than those used in oil paintings. This has created an entirely unique style of painting, which they refer to as “jingcai,” or “crystal painting.” This type of painting marks quite a breakthrough here, as it is one of the few new forms of self-developed art forms among Taiwan artists in recent years. The coloring agents are pretty similar to those used in the famous “qicai industrial arts” in Japan, where coloring agents are frequently used in ceramics and glasswork. A graduate of National Taiwan University of the Arts, Lan's artistic background helped her experiment. Several years ago, she suddenly came up with the thought of spilling coloring agents all across a piece of acrylic. “What was really interesting was how the industrial coloring agents, on the slippery and glossy surface of the acrylic, would blend together and create intriguing changes. Once I saw the results it seemed like the two types of media were a match made in heaven,” Lan said. Lan became extremely excited and began to devote herself entirely to this new form of art. “In the process of applying the industrial coloring agents to the acrylic, an unlimited number of interesting changes come about. Many painters are quite surprised by these works. Each one of these jingcai crystal paintings is like the life of an artist, which is full of surprise and wonder,” Lan said. A joint exhibition of crystal paintings is currently being held at the Taipei Cultural Center on Bade Road. Meanwhile, Lan has a solo exhibit planned for the second floor exhibition space at the Howard Plaza Hotel that will run from Nov. 12-23.

Outdoor mosaic project beautifies a neighborhood eyesore
The area along the Tamsui River in the Dai Dao Cheng area of Taipei used to be home to cold, featureless, dark dike walls. Now, however, thanks to the efforts of a group of art lovers from the local Sheltering Sky Arts Association, three large murals covering 112 meters of mosaic art are in place. The works have transformed the riverside into a “ten-mile art gallery”, not only brightening the view for local residents, but also helping to bring style back to the area. The Sheltering Sky Art Association is located on Huanhe North Road near the river, and can point to over 30 members, all of whom are aficionados of the arts. Standing on a high floor, one can look out to the beautiful vista of the Tamsui River, but the beauty of the riverside at ground level has been marred by the dike wall and the elevated highway, so that people have gradually forgotten the beautiful view that used to be accessible here. “Why does a dike have to be so ugly?” “It looks so far away but it’s really not!” Association art teacher Bo Yin-ping once lived in New York City, before coming back to live in this part of Taipei some years back. Every time she sees the gray wall of the dike, she always thinks that Taiwan shouldn’t allow a separation between the river and the life of the people. In particular, the Tai Tao Cheng area of Taipei was founded and prospered on the use of the Tamsui River as a means of transporting goods, so the feeling of the riverbanks should not be lost to the people there. The arts association thus decided to first begin work on the wall of the dike located between Huanhe North Road and Nanjing West Road, across the street from its headquarters. Their intent was to transform a black, dirty, closed-in space bounded by a cement wall into a work of art. The first work, titled “Rebirth of the Great River”, was begun using small donations from members. The Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs also provided an NT$400,000-plus subsidy. To keep the art fresh without changes for at least 10 years, the decision was made to use mosaics instead of paint, and a master mosaic artist from Yingge was brought in to transform the wall. The process of creating a mosaic is a complex one, and after Bo had completed the design for the stretch of wall, the association’s members divided up the tasks at hand. They first wanted to look at the wall and decide how the mosaic should be divided up and what color palette would be best, so that the perspective, sense of space and dimensionality of the completed work would be correct. After the Yingge ceramics workshop had fired and sorted the colors of the pieces to be used, they had to be put in place on site, starting from the top and working downward. Again, the dimensionality, color saturation and hue all had to be harmonious. Finally, the actual work had to be fixed onto the wall, while contending all the while with a busy flow of vehicles and pedestrians. Given these challenges, each mosaic took at least a year from start to finish. Everyone liked the results when the first mosaic was completed, and with assistance from the Department of Cultural Affairs, two years ago a second one, titled “Endless Space”, was begun at the intersection with Minsheng West Road. The third mosaic is located next to the doc and is titled “Rebirth of Elegance”. For this work, local residents and children were invited to try their hands at fitting the pieces in, symbolically putting their hands to developing their neighborhood. “It’s not just beautiful, it embodies the resolution to transform this community,” says Bo. The wall of the dike here is now a public work of art, bringing beauty to all and also representing the feeling local residents have for their home.

Gay pride throngs Taipei streets
Rainbow flags covered downtown Taipei yesterday afternoon as thousands of participants in this year’s Taiwan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Parade took to the streets, calling on the government to better protect gay rights.

During the parade, songs from romantic and pop genres clashed with heavy metal and trance music. Slogans were shouted by dozens of different organizations. Spectators shouted encouragement. Others just stood, endlessly clicking away on their cameras.

Now in its seventh year, the Taiwan LGBT Pride has grown from a humble gathering of 500 participants in 2003 to become the largest annual LGBT parade in Asia. Organizers estimated that there were more than 25,000 participants this year, 5,000 more than they had originally expected.

As the revelers snaked their way through the busy streets of Taipei, passing by 228 Peace Park (228和平公園), Ximending (西門町) and Zhongxiao W Road, spectators gathered to watch the parade.

“We support this [event] 120 percent,” spectator Simon Chan said. “I think this event will let the public understand more about gay culture.”

The slogan this year was “Love Out Loud” (同志愛很大) as parade organizers hoped to encourage members of the public to love and not discriminate against their lesbian, gay, transgender, transsexual or transvestite relatives, colleagues and neighbors. They also called on the government to do more to protect their rights and lifestyle choice. They went on to say that both of the nation’s main parties have neglected their demands.

“We want to emphasize that we love this society and its people,” said Ann Tung (童楚楚), convener-in-chief of this year’s parade. “We want to exchange our love for the public’s recognition.”

This was a frank reference to an anti-gay march held last Saturday by several Christian groups. The groups were led by two former Presbyterian Church pastors who emphasized the traditional definition of marriage.

That however, failed to deter the participants, who gathered in 30°C temperatures yesterday. Parade organizers later said that more than 100 organizations showed up to voice their support, including students from National Taiwan University as well as doctors and teachers’ organizations.

Groups from the US, Europe and Japan also joined the parade.

“I think [Taiwan’s] gay scene is amazing,” said a spectator named Maria, who was visiting from the US. “It’s not that different to the one we have in Chicago.”

“Taiwan is very outgoing. Even in Japan it is more conservative,” said Naiyuki Fukai, who is an organizer for next year’s Tokyo Pride event.

The event ended at 7pm following performances by Tony Fish (大炳) and Fish Leong (梁靜茹), who was the parade’s “rainbow ambassador” this year.

Tung later expressed hope that this annual event could spread to Kaohsiung and Taichung next year.

Taipei City to start H1N1 vaccination for medical staff Monday
Taipei, Nov.1 (CNA) Taipei City will start giving swine flu shots to top priority groups Monday, with health care personnel the first to be vaccinated.

"The central government has granted us 40,800 doses of swine flu vaccine supplied by Novartis, and we are ready to give shots to medical personnel who come in direct contact with patients, " an official from the city's Department of Health said Sunday.

According to the priority vaccination list unveiled by the Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH) , surviving victims from Typhoon Morakot-affected regions and health care personnel are first in line.

Because Taipei is not housing any typhoon-affected people, vaccines for the swine flu, known officially as influenza A (H1N1) , will be first administered to medical personnel on Monday, the official said.

Although all pre-school children rank third after pregnant women on the DOH-sanctioned priority list, Taipei has decided to have toddlers in city older than six months but younger than one year get vaccinated earlier, the official said.

Parents can take children in that age group to the 12 branches of Taipei City Hospital as well as National Taiwan University Children's Hospital and Taipei Municipal Hospital for Women and Children starting Nov. 9 to be immunized against the H1N1 virus.

"An estimated 10,381 babies in this age group are expected to get vaccinated," the official said.

As for other pre-schoolers, vaccination will begin Nov. 16 when pregnant women and the fourth priority group of seriously ill or injured individuals can also being receiving H1N1 shots at the city government-run health care institutions, the official said.

In the face of a global swine flu outbreak, Taiwan has procured 5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from Novartis, which delivered the first batch of 370,000 doses to Taiwan in late October. It also has ordered 10 million doses from Taiwan's only human vaccine manufacturer Adimmune Corp.

According to the city official, Adimmune is scheduled to deliver 5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine to the DOH in mid-November, and Taipei will get a share of the shipment to be able to immunize more residents.

The DOH has been distributing H1N1 flu vaccines to cities and counties based on the proportion of seasonal flu shots they have administered so far this year, the official said.

Taipei plans to begin giving H1N1 shots to elementary schoolchildren (fifth priority group on the DOH list) , junior high school students (sixth) , senior high school and five-year junior college students (seventh) from Dec. 1, the official said.

Provisional immunization stations will be set up at school campuses to administer the vaccinations.

The immunization program is expected to be completed before the winter break begins around Jan. 15 next year, but because schoolchildren in grades one to three are required to get a second shot, the official said, they will not be completely vaccinated until the first few weeks of the next semester.

Vaccination for other vulnerable groups, including those in the 19-24 age bracket, hospitalized individuals at high risk of cardiopulmonary disease, people in the 25-49 age group, and individuals aged 50 or over, will be handled depending on when deliveries of the vaccine are received.

According to municipal health authorities, Novartis is scheduled to deliver a second batch of 1.1 million doses to Taiwan in December and Adimmune Corp. will deliver 3.5 million doses next January. (By Johnson Sun and Sofia Wu)

Taipei agrees to look into dispute over missing breast
Taipei City’s Department of Health yesterday promised to look into a dispute over breast augmentation surgery after a middle-aged woman accused a well-known plastic surgeon of taking out gel implants without informing her.

The woman, surnamed Hung (洪), had breast augmentation surgery in July last year at the clinic of plastic surgeon Lee Chin-liang (李進良), who is the son-in-law of TV show host Hu Gua (胡瓜).

She followed Lee’s instructions and had another surgery to adjust the gel implants last month, but woke up from the six-hour surgery to find that the gel implants were gone.

“I did not ask [him] to remove the implants, and the doctor refused to explain the situation to me until several days after the surgery,” she told reporters yesterday at the Taipei City Council.

Hung also said Lee refused to sign an agreement to transfer her to another hospital, accusing him of medical negligence and saying she received terrible treatment at his clinic.

Accompanying Hung at the press conference, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Lee Wen-ying (李文英) said Lee Chin-liang had already violated the Physicians Law (醫師法) by performing the surgery in July last year because the Department of Health did not allow gel implants until last October.

“If what Hung said is true, Lee also violated the law by failing to explain the details of the surgery to a patient. The city government should look into the case to protect consumers’ rights,” she said.

Chen Ching-mei (陳青梅), deputy director of the Taipei City Health Department’s medical management office, said the department would look into the case and hold negotiations between Hung and Lee Chin-liang to solve the dispute.

Lee Chin-liang dismissed Hung’s accusations, saying he took out the gel implants because Hung failed to massage her breasts after surgery, causing the implants to contract.

He further accused Hung of extorting NT$12 million (US$370,000) from him in the dispute. Hung denied the accusations, saying she would bring the case to court if Lee Chin-liang refuses to apologize.

MOTA offers free Taipei info through kiosks and website
An innovative city guide system that offers a wide range of services from medical information to transportation is offering visitors as well as residents an easy and fun tour experience in Taipei.

Map of Taipei Amusement (MOTA), the free-of-charge Kiosk information service, is available in both Chinese and English. It fulfills functions covering food, living, transportation, education and amusement in the Taipei area.

"This location-based service will provide visitors information on shopping, restaurants, public facilities and scenic spots around their location. People can even download coupons by cell phone," said Chang Chia-sheng, Commissioner of Department of Information Technology during an interview with Taiwan News on October 26.

Chang added that "for those who never been to Taipei, they can utilize MOTA's route-planning service to arrange their tours in Taipei." Currently a total of 11 Kiosk booths can be found in MRT stations at Zhongxiao Fuxing, Zhongxiao Dunhua, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and Taipei City Hall as well as East Metro Mall.

"We're still in the test-run period," said Chang, "which spans from September to December."

"During this phase, we will make continuous improvements based on feedback collected from users and their reactions to the service."

To promote MOTA services and help the public to become familiar with their operation, Taipei City Government (TCG) has planned several briefings and on-site trials. The users have reacted positively to this service after hands-on experience.

During the upcoming Taipei Beef Noodle Festival and 2009 Information Technology Month (ITM), there will be a series of activities including explanations and games to promote the service.

"On November 29, we will hold an activity at the ITM venue in Taipei's World Trade Center," said Chang, stressing that "our aim is to provide all kinds of information that citizens living outside Taipei City and foreign visitors need during their stay in Taipei."

"Therefore we hope foreigners in Taiwan will let us know what kind of information they really need. This will help us improve MOTA's contents and service."

MOTA was first launched by the Department of Information Technology, TCG during the 2009 Deaflympics in early September as one of its Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-based services.

As an international city, Taipei will soon hold the six-month-long International Flora Expo next year. Such an international event is a great attraction for numerous visitors from Taiwan and abroad. Given this growing population of foreigners and domestic visitors, MOTA will undoubtedly be helpful in making their stay in Taipei easier and full of fun.

"We will gradually expand MOTA service along with the progress of promotion," said Chang.

Since English websites are a key source of information for foreigners in Taiwan, the Department of Information Technology is committed to improving its quality and accuracy. To achieve this goal, it regularly verifies its information and urges other city agencies to modify and update their website content.

"The most vital part of an English website is its content," said Chang, "which shall be perfectly planned to provide the information that visitors really need."

Taipei opts for eye-catching ad to promote flora expo in Shanghai
Shanghai, Oct. 31 (CNA) A huge LED panel on the banks of Shanghai's Huangpu River flashes the Chinese characters "Taipei welcomes you."

The greeting is followed by information about the Taipei International Flora Exposition, which is slated to open in Taipei next year.

The 6,000 square-meter LED panel on the exterior wall of a building is one of the most eye-catching advertising boards in Shanghai, especially at night when its colorful light is reflected on the surface of the Huangpu River, and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin hopes it will pay dividends for his city.

The huge advertisement, which made its debut in Shanghai Friday night, symbolizes the mayor's ambitious campaign to draw 6 million visitors to the 2010 fair, the first major international exposition to be held in Taiwan.

Tuo Chung-hwa, chief of the city's Department of Information and Tourism, was in Shanghai to promote the expo and witnessed the advertisement's debut.

He told a group of journalists aboard a boat on the river that Taipei hopes to tap into this potential market of Chinese and foreign visitors to the flora show by sending a greeting to residents of Shanghai first.

The electronic ad will run 65 times a day and 15 seconds each time for 15 days, Tuo said.

"We chose the most dazzling spot in China's most populous city to run the ad and extend our invitation to Chinese people as well as foreigners visiting the city," Tuo said.

The LED panel display is only one element in Taipei's campaign to sell the expo in China. Taipei has also placed advertisements on the sides of Shanghai buses running on 14 routes in the city's bustling areas, according to Tuo.

Tuo said his office has also approached Taiwanese and Chinese airlines that fly between Shanghai and Taipei to offer discounted tickets and tours to expo visitors.

The 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition will be held from November 6, 2010 to April 25, 2011. This is the first time the event will be held in Taiwan. Taipei is the seventh city in Asia to host such a gardening expo. (By Kuo Mei-lan and Maubo Chang)

Taipei travel fair to open with special offers


Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) A wide range of special offers will be offered at the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF) 2009 set to open at the Taipei World Trade Center Friday, as local tourism operators attempt to reverse the downturn in the sector due to the swine flu epidemic and the effects of Typhoon Morakot, an event organizer said Thursday.

This year, a record high of 1,206 booths will be set up by operators from 58 countries during the four-day fair, according to Stanley Chang-shou Yen.

Of the total, 256 booths will be promoting the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, Yen added.

The fair offers a good opportunity for visitors to hunt for bargains and get first-hand information and tips on travel in various countries, he added.

In recent years, individual tours have become an increasingly popular form of travel among young people worldwide, Yen noted, while encouraging those interested in planning this form of tourism to visit the fair to gather information for their travel plans.

Between last July and this July, the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting China reached about 4.75 million, more than half of a total of 8 million overseas visits made last year by Taiwanese people, Taiwan Visitors Association Chairman Chou Ching-hsiung said.

Between last July, when restrictions on visits to Taiwan by people from China were relaxed, and the end of September, Chinese people made more than 885,000 visits to Taiwan, making China Taiwan's second-biggest source of visitors, second only to Japan, according to statistics.

In addition, the number of Hong Kong tourists visiting Taiwan has reached 540,000 so far this year, up 15 percent year-on- year, according to Yen.

Backpackers form the largest group of visitors to Taiwan, who are attracted by the country's culture and natural scenery and the convenience of travel, according to Yen, who added that Taiwan therefore should promote its tourism attractions and expand its international tourist sources. (By Chen Shun-hsieh and Y.L. Kao)

Taipei deputy mayor departs for Shanghai to promote flora expo
Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Yong-ping departed Taipei Thursday for Shanghai to promote the Taipei International Garden and Horticulture Exposition that will be held in Taipei City between Nov.6, 2010 and April 25, 2011.

Lee took with her the official mascot of the Taipei flora expo, which will be one of the biggest international events to be organized by the city.

The mascot -- called Yabi the Seed Baby -- proved to be an instant eye catcher and crowd puller at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. EVA Airways provided a ticket for the mascot to have a seat in the passenger cabin on the flight to Shanghai.

In addition to promoting the Taipei flora expo, Lee and her group will attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the two Taipei pavilions at Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Construction of the 375-square-meter area for the two Taipei pavilions, which will highlight Taipei's achievements in building a ubiquitous broadband wireless network and in trash recycling, is scheduled to begin Friday.

Lee described her trip to Shanghai as an endeavor to link the Taipei flora expo and the Shanghai World Expo.

"The city government will highlight our advantages at the Shanghai World Expo to let Chinese citizens and people around the world know Taipei has one of the best living and travel environments for backpackers, young students and intellectuals," she said.

Meanwhile, she said, Yabi the Seed Baby is expected to meet Haibao -- the official mascot of Shanghai World Expo 2010 -- during the visit in Shanghai.

Both mascots were designed by Taiwanese, Lee disclosed. (By Bien Chin-feng and Deborah Kuo)

Taipei hosts Indonesian culture festival to honor migrant workers
Taipei, Oct. 25 (CNA) The Taipei city government hosted an Indonesian culture festival at Daan Forest Park Sunday to honor migrant workers and new immigrants from Indonesia.

Hundreds of Indonesian workers, caregivers and spouses of local citizens decked out in folk costumes or stylish outfits attended the event held in the city's largest park.

Famous Indonesian pop signer Rossa and several Indonesian rock bands performed at the event to make the participants feel at home, said Tsai Pei-chen, head of the Foreign Workers Consultation Service Center under the city's Bureau of Labor Affairs.

The Indonesian pop vocalists also led the audience in performing traditional Indonesian dances "Barong" and "Poco-Poco."

Su Yin-guei, director of the city's Bureau of Labor Affairs, took part in a skit in which an Indonesia bride performed a body-cleansing ritual to symbolize wiping away bad luck and ushering in good fortune.

Hartutik, who uses only one name -- as is customary in Indonesia -- and who attended the event with the young son of her employer, said she was pleased to see the performances of traditional Indonesian singing and dancing.

Nurenih, who has been in Taipei for two years, said her employer offered her a day off from work Sunday so that she could attend the event.

"Seeing the large number of my compatriots and watching performance of traditional Indonesian dances and folk songs has helped relieve my homesickness," she added.

Taipei now has about 23,000 Indonesian workers. (By Chen Hung-chin and Sofia Wu)

Taipei parking lots told to fix misleading signs
The Taipei City Government yesterday released a list of 20 private parking lots that misled users with false information on parking fee policies, saying it would fine lots that fail to change misleading information by tomorrow.

The 20 parking lots, including those run by parking management companies Dodohome and Taiwan Parking Co, violated the Act Governing Parking Lots (停車場法) by posting false or misleading information on parking fees on their signs. They will be fined NT$9,000 if they fail to correct the information by tomorrow, Taipei City’s Parking Management Office said yesterday in a press conference.

The signs on some parking lots, for example, read NT$15 for every 30 minutes, but failed to clarify that the fee would not be applied until the third hour.

Parking fees posted on the signs at other parking lots, on the other hand, were only available during certain hours, but the different hourly rates were missing on the signs.

'Walk for Health' events bring fitness closer to home
The Department of Health of the Taipei City Government is conducting a "Walk for Health" program at school playgrounds from Monday through Friday. Those interested in participating may dial 1999 to obtain more information from 12 District Health Centers.

The center has been holding the events on weekdays at 4:30 at the Laosong Elementary School since the beginning of June, 2009. Elderly residents are invited to participate, and each participant receives a free pedometer, a Passport to Weight Loss, and a hat. The events have been drawing from 200 to 300 walkers daily.

Lu Hui-chen, director of the center, says that Fan Tian-cheng, the head of the Fu Ming Neighborhood, used to snore badly, which bothered his wife to no end. After coming out for the walks, however, his snoring has disappeared, much to his wife's delight and relief. The center examined the walkers and discovered that after joining the program, 32% of them had been successful in gaining or losing weight, while 10% had reduced their waist sizes and 18% saw a drop in their BMI -- all good indications of improved health.

Lu says that after discovering the benefits of walking, some local elderly residents have started putting on their hats and coming out on their own to walk in the mornings as well. The friendly greetings and calls of encouragement exchanged make the activity good for the spirit as well as the body.

Prescription medication cited as cause in sleepwalking burglary cases
Early on the morning of December 15, 2007, 46-year-old Ms. Yu set off for Chengde Road in Taipei armed with a screwdriver, which she used to break the glass on a car window, stealing NT$100,000 and a digital camera from inside. On the 28th of the same month, she again used the same means to break into a car on Tonghe Street, coming away with the owner's clothing, a watch, and other articles. On January 10, 2008, she was apprehended by the police while breaking into a car owned by a Mr. Pai.

At her trial at the Shilin District Court, Yu admitted to three counts of breaking into an automobile, but stated that she had been depressed for a long time and had serious problems with insomnia. She had been seen at Taipei Veterans' General Hospital numerous times, where doctors had diagnosed her and prescribed a certain type of sleeping pills. After she began taking the drug, her insomnia was cured, but she suffered from blackouts and abnormal judgment and behavior. These eventually led to her committing break-ins while half-asleep, she claimed.

In a letter to Taipei Veterans' General Hospital, the court asked for more information regarding the sleeping pills and Yu's use of the drug. The hospital responded saying that one of the side effects of the drug was indeed problems involving consciousness, hallucinations, loss of memory and sleepwalking, and added that the majority of patients suffering from these were women.

The court found that Yu had no prior convictions, and that her going alone to remote areas like the dike at the city limits to steal things was not "commonly seen" behavior. Added to this was the fact that after her arrest, on January 23, she went back to the hospital for further treatment, where a doctor determined that the side effects of the drug had influenced her behavior. After a switch to a different medication, the situation was alleviated, and Yu has never been seen stealing anything since.

Because the Court believed that Yu's crimes were caused by a reduced capacity in the wake of taking prescription medication, it sentenced her to 9 months for the serial thefts, but suspended the sentence for three years so that she could put her life back together.

Underground mall offers weatherproof attractions for all
The Taipei Easy Mall, called the "Zhongshan Underground Street" in Chinese, is located between the Taipei Main and Shuanglian MRT stations, covering a total length of 815 meters. After opening in 2000, Taipei's first MRT mall did not attract as many customers as anticipated. From 2000 to 2003, the mall languished without many commercial interests moving in.

Today, however, this underground mall bustles at noon with more and more white-collar workers stopping in each day to take a healthy walk. Some people walk for 30 to 40 minutes and put in about 10,000 steps. Others take the MRT from Shihlin especially to come here just for lunch and a relaxing time.

The facilities in the Easy Mall include a special square, providing young people with a dancing space with a four-wall mirror. There is a professional-grade stage in the middle, and young people perform or practice enthusiastically here day and night. The spectacle has become one of the hallmarks of the mall. One high-school student, "Hsiao B", says the biggest advantage of the underground mall is that it keeps people out of the rain, sun and wind. Moreover, the air-conditioned mall sports many chairs and tables and has become a gathering place for the elderly as well. They come here to read newspaper, play chess or chat with friends.

For the past two years, the mall has had book vendors in residence. They offer new books at a good discount, and regularly hold "book fairs" at which prices may drop to 20% of the original ticket. Some books can be had for as little as NT$10. As such, this has become a favorite destination for book lovers throughout the city.

The Children's Book City, in place for less than a year now, gives kids a place of their own to come and read. On weekends, there are parent-child activities organized here, and it has become a favorite retreat for children, and people with kids.

The Taipei Museum of Modern Art cooperates too, holding an "Experience Creativity Show" underground each month. The displays feature vanguard works of modern art, allowing people to enjoy them for free. The art adds to the cultural diversity on show at the mall. Artist Chiang Wei-chen says that it is possible to see works of art by artists of all ages and backgrounds in the mall, and the challenge lies in somehow shrinking this underground town through visual art.

Taipei Zoo classifies its recipe for pangolins
Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, mainly rely on ants and termites for food. Their eating habits are quite different from other animals', says Taipei City Zoo spokesman Jin Shih-qian.

Because it can be difficult for them to find food in their natural habitat, pangolins can stay in a state of partial starvation for long periods of time. If they are raised in a controlled environment, pangolins often eat foods that do not agree with them or succumb to digestive ulcers, which can lead to death. As a result, pangolins have a low rate of survival in captivity. Therefore, zoos throughout the world have largely given up having pangolins due to problems associated with finding the right foods for them.

Taiwan has a high level of development in low-altitude areas. Wild pangolins have been hit by vehicles as they cross roads or injured in attacks by wild dogs. The injured pangolins are sent to the Taipei City Zoo to have their wounds treated and their health looked after. Given their frequent contact with the mammal, veterinarians at the zoo developed a unique diet for the animals that has been quite successful in helping them to survive.

Jin says that the so-called "Pangolin Diet" is based on the nutritional composition of ants and consists of a mixture of proteins, the addition of various nutrients, as well as dietary fiber. The pangolins are fed on the diet in a rational manner to extend their livespans. The Taipei Zoo has exchanged this recipe and their technology in taking care of pangolins with the Leipzig Zoo in Germany.

Jin says that the scales and the tails of pangolins are frequently smuggled throughout Southeast Asia because they are widely believed to have the effect of treating bruises, clearing mammary glands and boosting sexual stamina. The zoo's recipe for feeding the pangolins therefore is sought after by many of these smugglers so that they can use it to raise large numbers of the animals in captivity. The zoo strictly forbids this, however, and it has taken measures to make sure that the recipe does not get into the hands of unscrupulous people.

Accord signed to uphold tortoise conservation
In 2003, the Taipei Zoo was the first such organization worldwide to successfully breed the Burmese star tortoise in captivity. In 2008, the zoo saw a huge boost to its numbers, with 26 adorable hatchlings added to its count. On September 16, 2009, the zoo inked an accord with the Behler Chelonian Center to cooperate on the preservation of endangered species. The two institutions will work jointly on conservation activities, assisting in the return of the tortoises to the wild.

The Burmese star tortoise is a rare species from Asia; its only habitat is coastal river jungles near Rangoon. Due to long-term upheaval caused by war on the Indo-China peninsula, the habitat of the species is under serious threat, and its numbers have declined sharply, to the point where it has been listed as the sixth endangered chelonian species in the world. Despite the protections it now enjoys, its reproductive rate has remained low.

Yeh Chieh-sheng, head of the Taipei Zoo, says that the tortoises lay between 80 and 100 eggs per year, but only 1 or 2 hatchlings typically survive. In 2008, with assistance from the Behler Chelonian Center, the zoo improved the climactic conditions in its turtle habitat, adjusting the humidity and temperature to more closely resemble that of Burma. At the same time, the zoo also slowed its hatching techniques. The institution's efforts were amply rewarded with the successful hatching of 26 young tortoises.

Yeh says too that the accord recently concluded by the zoo will see increased cooperation between the two sides in reproductive technology, individual exchanges, diversification of genetic pools for endangered species, and other areas of research. These efforts will establish a multi-national relationship and a model for cooperation in conservation, with the ultimate goal being to return the star tortoises to their native environment.

City project breathes new life into cloth market
The Taipei City Office of Commerce is currently assisting the city's former cloth district in reinventing itself for the new century, bringing in designers and creative educational platforms. The Chiapo Nijung company has been set up as the first model store. Owner Su Chang-chin, who has 30 years of experience in the business, says that the company used to focus on sales of fabric for uniforms, but as demand declined, the industry is no longer a seller's market. Today, the company has adopted a "cloth art" platform to remain competitive. The firm now provides classes, brings in creative designers, and offers free consultations about cloth. The new initiatives have breathed new life into the faltering business.

With NT$3,000 a restaurant can change its look and present different atmospheres based on their particular clientele. Fabric is an easily changeable basis for decorating a home or store. It is not only cost effective, the resulting look is also clean and simple, and it can easily be done as a DIY project at home.

Designer Li Wen-chi gives the example of one Western restaurant that was originally decorated in cool colors with earth tones. That was fine given that their customers were largely white-collar workers and families. However, when the restaurant was reserved for a party, a corporate function or a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, different interior materials and colors were needed to pep the place up. The restaurant now changes its tablecloths, chair covers and so on, puts a new cloth jacket on the menus, and adds a little color to accent pieces such as scarves or accessories to employee uniforms. In a short time, a completely new look is created for a custom event.

On September 16, Li demonstrated the decorating technique by creating a "Single Girls' Party" décor for an imaginary party reserving a private room in a restaurant. The cost for transforming the room ran less than NT$3,000, and literally thousands of types and patterns of cloth can be had in the Youhua Street area at an average cost of about NT$60 per meter. Even including labor costs, a chair cover came in at less than NT$150 custom-made, and pre-made types are available for even less for those for whom budget is a major consideration.

Old Bopiliao in Taipei sheds light on another era
What is referred to as Bopiliao Old Street today is actually Kangding Road, Lane 173 in Wanhua, one of the oldest districts in Taipei City. Framed on the southern side of Laosong Elementary School, as well as Kangding Road, Guangzhou Street, and Kunming Street, the Bopiliao Street area is dripping with 200 years of history starting all the way back in the Qing Dynasty, running through the Japanese occupation to the post-WWII period after the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan from mainland China. It is the most intact street within the previously walled city of Taipei from the Qing Dynasty.

Mi Fu-kuo, an architectural scholar, says Bopiliao was an important area during the Qing Dynasty from which lumber shipped to Taiwan from Fuzhou in southern mainland China was sent to be stripped of bark before distribution. This is where the area's name derives from, since "bopi" literally means peeling off bark. The old buildings along the street also feature southern Chinese style arcades. During the Japanese occupation, new streets were created in a more orderly pattern, and on the southern end of the area a new roadway was opened, known today as Guangzhou Street. What resulted was a rare situation of a row of buildings bordered by streets on both sides.

At the time, many stores thrived in the area and were critical to the wellbeing of the people. For instance, the "Sun Book Company", a printer and book-binding factory, bound books with thread in a traditional way. This business contracted out its work to many families in the area. The Weiling Altar, referred to more colloquially as Shihgonggui, is a place where shamans exerted their power to expel demons from ill children brought in by their parents. Meanwhile, at the intersection of Kangding Road and Guangzhou Street are many businesses selling coal and wood charcoal, henceforth giving the area the name "charcoal market."

The movie Monga (Wanhua District pronounced in Minnan dialect) filmed in the area portrayed parts of the local streetscapes in the 1980s. Although it didn't restore the entire Bopiliao Old Street area, it did bring back some famous old enterprises in the area such as the Xiuying Tea Shop, the Rixiang Travel Service, and the Fengxiang Baths. While the younger generation looks upon the scene set up for the movie as having an Old World flavor; it was unreal for the older locals.

Mrs. Yeh once lived along Bopiliao Street. She missed the place where she grew up and wanted her son to see the remains of the area, but she discovered that things were totally different with many stores being changed, she said. She complained that the architectural structures in the area have not been well preserved and the street has been turned into a folk culture village.

The Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs said that after undergoing renovation, the Bopiliao Old Street will become a special arts and culture zone. Hopes are that a larger number of culture-related enterprises can be attracted to the area, which can also be rented out for scenes in movies or television shows. The current exhibit of "mixed arts" held in the area is another manifestation the renovation aimed at injecting a new life into this historic space.

H1N1 prompts school to hold commencement via intercom
With the new strain of flu continuing to spread, Kangning Elementary School in Taipei decided to use a school-wide public broadcasting system to hold its opening ceremony rather than gathering students in a public place. A high-tech video feed allowed a live broadcast of the event to each classroom to allow the students to participate in the ceremony. The school also delivered messages concerning flu prevention.

School Principal Lian Te-sheng says that how much students and faculty know about the flu determines the success or failure of a prevention program. Using video conferencing avoided cramming students cheek–to-jowl in the auditorium, reducing the probability of such close contact between students and lowering the chances of infection.

Faculty committee president Hen Shu-ting says, "The children think the video conferencing is very interesting. We are using this opportunity to educate them about the flu, and because of the unique delivery method, the kids are paying even more attention, so the program is very successful." Quite a few of the children were curious about the new format for the year's opening ceremony and "when they turned on the TV and could see and hear everything so clearly, they really loved the new way of holding the ceremony!" says Hen.

The school is taking many preventive measures, such as having students and teachers wear clinical masks, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and voluntarily and quickly report any changes to their physical well-being. These were all introduced via videoconferencing, taking advantage of the kids' excitement about the new medium to get a very important message through to them.

Elderly woman bids farewell to her beloved sewing machine
"Goodbye, my beloved sewing machine." Jin Feng-yi looks at the sewing machine and the large collection of umbrellas that have been with her most of her life. These items, along with other tools, have been loaded onto a truck and are being transported to Zhongzheng Community College in Taipei. Jin Feng says, "It feels as if I am giving my daughter away when she gets married. I hope that the new owner of these things will treat them dearly." She stands in the alleyway and waves goodbye to the truck that slowly heads away.

Jin is 70 years old and entirely blind in her left eye. Thirty years ago, she picked up a broken umbrella on Yangmingshan. "I figured that people who went around collecting junk for their recycling value would only want the metal skeleton of the umbrella. They would toss out the fabric used for the umbrella. This was not only wasteful, but also polluted the environment," she said. Jin said used the material to create back packs, making what become environmentally friendly "Jin Feng bags" that became quite the hot item. It is because of this that she started to be referred to as "Green Auntie."

Two years ago, Jin Feng-yi asked her daughter to buy a computer for her. She started to learn how to type Chinese and then she created her own blog, sharing with others how to make environmentally friendly back packs.

Jin's daughter, Tang Shu-yu, described her mother, who is blood type A and a Virgo, as intelligent and independent. "My grandmother was a child wife, who was bought into the family. Mother was born after her due date. In addition to being a late delivery, she contracted some viruses shortly after birth. She was born with poor sight in her left eye. When he was 18 years old, my grandfather was not happy with the meal that she had prepared for him and he struck her across her face. At this early age, she lost total sight in her left eye," Tang explained.

Tang Shu-yu said that after her mother graduated from elementary school she began learning the trade of sewing. The money she earned from her work was given to her little brother for his educational expenses and to buy various things. "My uncle ended up earning a doctorate in agronomy. He became an expert on Taiwan in the study of braconids," she says.

As things turned out, Jin Feng-yi married a man who came to Taiwan from mainland China in 1949. Prior to retiring, the man worked at the National Security Bureau. He had a deep fondness for his friends and he ended up spending all of his salary on helping out his friends in the army who he came to Taiwan with. Jin Feng-yi ended up working three different jobs to raise four children. The two sons in the household presently work as civil servants, and Tang Shu-yu graduated from National Taiwan University. Tang Shu-yu says, "Mother has made sacrifices her entire life for the welfare of others. After giving away her eldest daughter (her beloved sewing machine), we hope that she will do what she wants to do."

Since Jin Feng-yi's vision is getting worse, she decided to give her sewing machine and her collection of umbrella fabrics to the community college, hoping that this will provide some momentum to classes in environmental friendliness, which will get underway soon at the college. Meanwhile, Jin plans to begin realizing her dream of doing some traveling.

Taipei to hold triathlon for visually impaired youth
The 2009 Deaflympics will be held in Taipei from September 5 until September 15. The Taipei City Government's Sports Office and Standard Chartered Bank are jointly holding a triathlon for visually handicapped youngsters on August 23 at the city's Neihu Sports Center. A mass pledge was held on July 21 to spur visually impaired students' interest in participating in the competition, which will involve running, bicycling and swimming.

Two brothers, Lin Xin-wei and Lin Zheng-yu, both born almost totally blind, have been designated as the spokesmen for the event. The brothers are in the first year of high school and the third year of junior high school, respectively, and began learning how to swim at the ages of six and seven. Over the past several years, the two boys have won countless awards; they found self-confidence in the pool. Just last week, they received the Education Award from President Ma Ying-jeou.

The visually handicapped athletes frequently end up bumping into the side of the pool when they are swimming. As a result, it is not uncommon for them to sustain injuries. Coaches must use a bamboo rod with a PET plastic bottle attached to the end to tap the swimmers on the head, reminding them that they are five meters from the end of the pool and that they should get ready to turn around.

This was also a frustrating process for the two brothers when they first started swimming. Since they could not see anything, and it is impossible to hear when your head is under water, they frequently hit their heads against the side of the pool, making it not the most comfortable activity for them. However, with a coach by their side, they no longer had to worry about such things. As such, they attribute their outstanding performance in the pool to their coach, Chen Lun-zhung, who said that the two brothers' physical handicap has actually served to spark them to exert themselves to the best of their potential, thereby creating unlimited possibilities for them.

Swimming aside, the visually impaired athletes in the triathlon will also ride bicycles and run. In each of the three events, volunteer helpers will be there to ride tandem bikes and lead the contestants with a rope in completing the running portion of the competition. The sponsors are looking for 100 volunteers to help out at the event.

Restaurant's Mormon proprietor tastes alcohol without swallowing
One of Taipei's best-known Shanghai cuisine restaurants is run by an alcohol-free Mormon who seldom eats meat. However, the restaurant does offer alcohol and all sorts of meats to its customers like any other eatery. The special assistant to the general manager, Chris Kelsey, an American who previously spent two years in Taiwan as a missionary for the Mormon Church, is extremely polite, bowing constantly to customers as they complete their meal and leave the restaurant. He says that one of the most frequent questions he encounters is whether he has multiple wives.

Established in 1987, Tau Tau Shanghai Restaurant was originally located on Zhongshan North Road, and was favored by political and business figures, as well as Japanese years ago. The restaurant closed its doors in 1993, but was brought back to business in August of 2008 by its original maitre d'hotel, Jian Jing, on Jilin Road with the same name.

Interestingly enough, Jian Jing, the general manager and proprietor of the restaurant, and about one fourth of her employees are Mormons, including the 27-year-old Arizonan Kelsey, who fell in love with Taiwan when he first came here. He switched his major from architecture to Chinese, and in the beginning of last year flew back to Taiwan on a one-way plane ticket to show his determination to settle down and work here. Kelsey understands food well, and, as such, he was asked by Jian Jing, a fellow Mormon, to work at the restaurant.

Fluent in Japanese, the 48-year-old Jian Jing adopted the Mormon faith at 18, saying that she does not smoke, drink alcohol, tea or coffee, and abides by the religious precepts of the church. Jian says she does not eat much meat or seafood either. Nonetheless, in order to meet the needs of the restaurant's customers, she took a class to learn about the different types of wine and liquor, as well as gathering knowledge about which type of wine or liquor is most appropriate for certain foods. While she will taste the wines, she never swallows them.

"Customers who store bottles of wine or liquor in the restaurant can rest assured that the alcohol is safe and it will not be drunk by the staff!" jokes Kelsey. He says that foreigners are constantly approached with various questions by locals, saying that when some customers toast him or invite him to a glass of alcohol, he will take advantage of the opportunity to promote Mormonism, making everyone to understand that Mormons do not drink alcohol. He also works to dispel the perception among many that Mormons engage in polygamy, in which men take many wives.

"I will not go out of my way to preach while in the restaurant. However, I will encourage other employees to follow the dietary rules of the Mormon faith," he says. Kelsey adds that sometimes he will caution patrons not to drink too much liquor. Having worked in the food and beverage industry for many years, Jian Jing says she puts a heavy emphasis on the use of vegetables in season. She also uses a large amount of organic foods that she transports in from her home of Yilan in northeastern Taiwan. Jian does not encourage customers to order shark fins or bird's nests. "After all, you cannot just think about making money. You can’t run a restaurant at the expense of the ecosystem," Jian says.

Tianmu to offer treats and deals in food festival
Located in northern Taipei, the Tianmu Marketplace is a great place to sample the taste of many exotic restaurants. June 20 and 21 will mark the first-ever zone-wide exhibition, with 41 restaurants setting up stands to provide great food from nine different regions. For just NT$1, visitors can taste all sorts of great dishes.

The Tianmu Marketplace Development Association and the Taipei City Office of Commerce have teamed up to sponsor a two-day event, the "Specialty Stores and Foreign Food Exhibition" on June 20 and 21 from 12 noon to 9 p.m. The restaurants represented will offer dishes from Britain, France, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Japan.

Restaurant owner Chen Pin-shen of "Beigang Meat Congee" says that he will offer 200 portions of congee for just NT$1 over the course of the two-day event. Those who miss out on that offer can enjoy a 10% discount at the shop, and those showing a ticket stub from the Tianmu Baseball Stadium for either day will get 20% off their orders.

The Mexican restaurant "El Gallo"will be on hand with Mexican tacos, again with 200 portions available over the weekend. There will also be chances to sample Korean noodles and Hong Kong specialties for just NT$1.

To attract people to the event, the Big Train clothing store, which specializes in large sizes, will be offering posters of artist Luo Chi-hsiang, a designer jeans spokesman. The Mentor hair studio chain will also treat 30 customers to NT$100 haircuts.

The association says that all 41 restaurants will be offering samples of their dishes as well as discounts ranging from 10 to 50% off their regular prices. Patrons may show a "Tianmu Marketplace Discount Book" to enjoy special prices at the restaurants.

The Taipei City Office of Commerce will provide rental information about some 57 vacant storefronts for rent in the zone. Information of entrepreneurship classes and business startup loans will also be available during the weekend.

Businessman rises from ashes via door-to-door sales
Chiu Ah-fa started a lighter business over 30 years ago and lost NT$40 million (US$1,225,565 in 1997) at 45 years of age. Today, at 67, he owns four retail outlets in Dazhi, Neihu and other areas in Taipei selling various wares; the largest one is a 300-ping (991.737 square-metered) wholesale store with 40 employees, located in the commercial district just north of the Taipei train station. Monthly revenues generated by his stores top NT$2 million.

After the failure, Chiu started working in a necklaces and hair accessories factory, and his hands were covered with calluses after a couple of years. At night, he kept on working for another five hours selling products door to door. He says that he started anew, carrying a suitcase full of goods around. Each evening, he lugged the suitcase along with his daughter to residences and stores. Their trips covered both street stalls as well as stores from the Gongguan area in the southern part of Taipei all the way to the Shilin night market in the north. If they were able to sell NT$5,000 of accessories in one evening, they would go home happy and sleep well.

Chiu says that they had this kind of life for about two years before he was able to open his first store with his savings. "At that time, all I sought was to have adequate clothing and food for my family, and be able to support my wife and children. I never thought that I would end up becoming a boss," he says.

Chiu says that, although it is stressful being unemployed as a middle-aged person, one should never lose one's determination, and it is never too late to start over. He encourages others who are encountering the similar predicament that he faced to do the same. Chiu says that the right attitude and being willing to work hard are more important than having an enormous amount of capital to start up a business. "In fact, one could ultimately found a successful business with only a few thousand NT," he says.

College students' graduation projects acclaimed on display
Several students at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have won accolades with their invention of using light effects to create a slightly drunken feeling. Yang Jia-hao and Zheng Bo-fan placed an acrylic bar in front of an infrared camera. The camera was programmed to detect the placement of glasses on the bar. After further processing by the computer of the images, a projector was used to project seemingly hallucinatory images. The invention has created a new interpretation of interpersonal relationships and the interaction of various items.

The university's Department of Industrial and Commercial Design held its graduation exhibition starting April 27. The graduation projects on display provide a window into the creativity and innovation of the students. Liao Geng-min and Yen Xuan-yi cooperated on a project to use onions to create an umbrella in the form of an onion. They also made "meat books," having been inspired by the look of pork bellies, and created bowls in the form of cabbage, as well as pocket books that look like kitchen cleavers. All of these items reflect items used in a Taiwanese kitchen.

Another student, Huang Pin-zhen designed a series of collapsible articles to be hung on the side of a bicycle, including chairs, cushions and tents. Huang's inventions make it possible for bicyclists to stop wherever they want and have a simple chair to sit on.

Huang Xin-ya used over 20 discarded tires from bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and vans to design three different styles of "tire bags." The packs are both durable and environmentally friendly. Huang canvassed along Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road, looking for automobile and motorcycle repair and maintenance outlets, seeking out discarded tires from them free of charge. She then used a band saw that was available in the university's workshop, sawing the tires into quarters and completed the series of bags in a matter of months.

Convenience store employees face the world with 24-hour smiles
"Will that be another medium latte, no sugar for you today?" The convenience store employee sounds like the customer's friend as she shows her understanding of the person's preferences. Standing in the storefront a short distance from Taipei 101, amid the hustle and bustle of the area, most customers here are local residents and working folks from nearby offices. Some customers come here three or more times daily, for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, or maybe a lunchbox before starting an overtime shift. Many are here more than they are in their own kitchens cooking.

Taipei residents find it impossible to imagine life without convenience stores. Here you can buy the newspaper, coffee, and a lunchbox, get a hot meal or make photocopies and send faxes. You can also get concert tickets, pay your utility bills, take care of parking fines and even pay your credit card bills. All these transactions crowd into the tiny space of this establishment.

But as the customers are thronging around for convenience, the employees must do the same things over and over again, all day, every day. Patrol the store, straighten up the shelves, watch the refrigerator case temperatures and restock. The minute customers come in the door, they expect to be checked out rapidly, and cannot be kept waiting. Then it's back to the straightening up, restocking and maybe changing the cash register's tape rolls. Without enthusiasm and dedication, it's impossible to stand up to this endless sameness day in and day out.

Store manager Lin Hsiao-liang began working here at age 16. Today, after 18 years, he has risen from his first job as a lowly work-study clerk to the manager of three such stores. Lin says that the service sector emphasizes employee attitudes. Because the employees are interacting with several hundred people a day and handling thousands of products, if they can't be positive and outgoing, they will seem like robots, mechanically chanting "Welcome to the store" and "Thanks for your patronage" as customers come in and out, as is the custom in Taiwan.

Lin says: "Employees who smile without meaning it, or who have dour faces, make the customers feel like they might as well buy their drinks from a vending machine. Why walk into the store in that case?" Lin believes that with over 10,000 convenience stores in Taiwan selling similar products, the competition is fierce. As such, only through the quality of its customer service can a store differentiate itself and therefore keep customers coming back.

Taiwanese convenience stores' services have become increasingly diverse in recent years. Ringing up orders and manning the cash register aside, employees today have to run the in-store fax and copy machine for customers as well.

During peak periods, they also have to work on store promotions and keep track of all the sales mandated by the central office. Employees have to move fast and think clearly; otherwise they might irritate the customers by messing up the sales price or the free gift.

Facing such a diverse job with such high pressure, don't most employees soon burn out? Lin says: "Customers might get tired of buying a cup of coffee here every day, and some employees, too, would feel the same way about pushing the button to dispense it every day." He believes that taking the attitude that the diverse duties expected of them are a way to have "fresh variety each day" is a way to keep the customers feeling good about the store. The workers also have a chance to earn scholarships, and if they focus on appreciating the joy of life through their interactions with customers, their work will not seem boring.

Noted musician teaches yue chin to popularize the traditional instrument
If you saw the hit film "Cape No. 7," you may recall the scenes in which Uncle Mao was sitting at the entrance to his home playing the "yue chin," a traditional local stringed instrument kind of like a guitar, and singing. The popularity of the film caused a sudden rush among many people to learn how to play the yue chin. Chen Ming-chang, a well-known local musician, did not want to let Uncle Mao monopolize the limelight. On the quiet, Chen began offering free classes in the yue chin in the Beitou district of Taipei. The classes even attracted several foreigners. The unlikely result has been that the yue chin has served as a means to promote people to people diplomacy.

Chen Chang-sheng, the head of the Changan neighborhood in the Beitou district of the city, said that the Beitou-raised Chen Ming-chang felt it was his duty to come and help provide instruction upon hearing that a yue chin class would be held in the neighborhood. Chen Chang-sheng said that "Cape No. 7" triggered a huge interest in traditional musical instruments. As such, Chen Ming-chang's yue chin class attracted quite a few people, including children and foreign nationals from France and the U.S. A local man even makes the trip to the class each week all the way from Hsinchu (some 80 kilometers south of Taipei.)

An American student in the class, Ben, currently also studying guitar with Chen Ming-chang, is able to play the yue chin and sing a Taiwanese folk song at the same time. Ben said that he came to Taiwan nine years ago to study Chen Ming-chang's folk music as well as Huang Chun-ming's fiction; he has a special interest in traditional culture here.

Ben laughed when he said that if one does not understand the soul of the yue chin, it is impossible to write a good research thesis on the instrument. In referring to himself, Ben said that this was the reason that he decided to take the plunge to study the instrument. He said that while the yue chin has only two strings, it is really an amazing instrument for being able to produce a variety of music that is every bit as diverse as that of the guitar. He hopes to group up with other foreigners to play traditional local instruments in the future.

Meanwhile, the 45-year-old Chen Tsan-lang said that he does not mind making the special trip (from Hsinchu) to Taipei every Thursday evening to study the yue chin. He said that while young people love learning Western instruments like the piano, the violin and the guitar, it is important to pass along the skills of traditional local instruments to next generation.

Chen Tsan-lang has been learning the yue chin for nearly a year. Starting from scratch, Chen is now able to play and sing 10 songs. He said that if one has the will to learn, one will then be able to make it. Chen said his dream is to be able to support his round- Taiwan trip by making money from playing a yue chin.

Young rap artist builds a fan base
Even though "Husky" is unable to distinguish between "en" and "eng" sounds, the 23-year-old rap music lover has pursued his dream to be a street performer. Husky invented a name for himself in the Ximending district of Taipei, the center of youth activities, trendy stores and entertainment venues. When performing, Husky avoids using dirty language, which helped him gain a wider audience who rejected cuss words. His style became known as the "Husky style" of rap.

Husky's real name is Liu Hsiang-ning, recently graduated from Tungnan University. He first came into contact with rap when he was a student at a five-year technical school. Last year, he obtained a license to perform as a street artist. He performs in Ximending on weekends and holidays with impromptu performances and interacting with the audience. When he sees audience members wearing flip-flops or holding beverages in their hands, he will include these details into his lyrics. He also asks the audience questions and has them shout out words, which he then strings together into rap. His talent is without peer in the area.

Besides his interest in rap, Husky usually spends an enormous amount of time honing his skills and doing his homework. He has to be familiar with daily events to avoid embarrassing situations. Last year when someone in the audience shouted out the words "Lehman Brothers" (an American financial institution that went bankrupt last year in the wake of the sub-prime loan crisis), Husky misunderstood as the name to mean somebody's relatives. Husky frequently breaks out into rap without realizing it when he is driving around or walking through the streets. His lyrics often urge young people not to spend too much time on the Internet, saying that they should work to pursue their dreams instead. Resentment toward the world and cynicism have no place in his rap lyrics, Husky says.

Husky says that he got his nickname from friends, who say that he looks like that breed of dog. Also equipped with a larger tongue, when speaking, his tongue frequently gets in the way, and he ends up biting it. When Husky took music classes in elementary school, he had no idea that he would grow up to be a rap artist

"You'll never achieve your dreams if all you do is talk. You have to do it!" Husky says. He hopes that one day he will be able to produce his own record. He says that more people have a chance to come in contact with rap through his street performances. As more people enjoy his music, he is moving closer to fulfilling his dream.

MRT staff mans the tracks while you sleep
The Taipei mass rapid transit system has 70 stations along its 75.8 kilometers of track, covering both underground and elevated areas. In 2008, the system carried an average of 1.23 million people each day, making track maintenance a necessary routine that allows no room for error. The maintenance staff's only mission is to make the track work, or else. As such, they are under an enormous amount of pressure, both psychologically and physically.

Hsu Shun-yung says that in the early stages after the subway system began operations, the workers did not have mobile cranes to use, leaving them no choice but to carry hundreds of kilograms of steel track required for the repair to the exact place. But, after flash butt welding cars and other automated and mechanized equipment were brought in to help in the last few years, the degree of difficulties was lowered and efficiency heightened.

Nonetheless, machinery is still machinery. It can break down, and at the end of the day there are many things that simply require manpower and special techniques to get done. One of these is Thermit welding, which Hsu Shun-yung says he has been done over 100 times. He also says that an experienced track welder is able to determine immediately if the track has been welded smoothly by taking one look at it. The Thermit welding technology is one of the most important techniques that he wants to pass down to his colleagues.

"Track maintenance personnel must show a lot of dedication to their work," says Hsu, who has been involved in the maintaining and repair of tracks for nearly 10 years. He says that many new employees are not interested in this work since there is quite a lot of time pressure, and they have to work at night. Some of them are also scared of using various welding machinery or taking on hard work. Nevertheless, Hsu encourages them to see this work as an unforgettable learning opportunity and experience that surpass their expectation from an ideal or interested job.

Hsu admits that with the work schedule the opposite of most, workers have to cherish the limited amounts of time that they have with their families. One time, when he and his family went on a long-expected outing, Hsu was summoned back to Taipei to carry out emergency repair work. In the eyes of the track maintenance personnel, making sure the rapid transit system delivers passengers safely is more precious than the time they spend with their families.

Hsu says that his being able to give an undivided attention to his work over the years is only because of the support and understanding of his family. When they take the subway system together, his children will use an adult's tone of speech in pointing to the trains and saying, "Dad, this is fruit of all of your work!" This one short sentence is enough to make him feel proud for a long time, he says.

Septuagenarian teaches yoga moves that cured her daughter
Seventy-year old Chao Mei-fang has been doing yoga over 30 years; she is spritely, flexible, and does all manner of yoga routines on a regular basis. In fact, it has done her so much good that many men compliment her on her beauty, even at her age.

"Well, I really started doing yoga to save my daughter. Looking good is just a bonus!" says Chao. Her daughter, Chao Hsin-ju, contracted rheumatoid arthritis thirty years ago, and both her legs became stiff and painful. At the time, the doctors just said, "There's no cure." But neither mother nor daughter took the matter very seriously. One day they saw a TV show on which author Hsing Lin-tzu, who had the same problem, and noted the twisted joints. Seeing the results made them realize how serious a disease Hsin-ju was facing.

Mei-fang decided that it made no sense to just sit around and wait for the worst. Seeing how supple the bodies of the people doing yoga at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, she determined to save her daughter through exercise. The mother set to learning circle dances, tai-chi, and even traveled to Japan and India to study yoga, and set about teaching everything to her daughter.

Fifteen years went by, and each day the mother got up early to lead Hsin-ju in yoga routines, then spent three hours a day giving her acupressure massage. Hsin-ju was in such pain that she often cried, but she kept it up day after day. And the arthritis came back under control, with her inflammation indices dropping markedly.

Chao Mei-fang had been a beautician previously, doing makeup for many famous stars. She had also been a competitor in singing contests, and placed high in company with well-known singers of the day.

Mei-fang has continued to do yoga and tai-chi, and says there is no age limit to either activity. In fact, her teacher, Hua Shu-chun, was 93 when he died, and was still teaching yoga to the end. When media reports of an elderly lady who had fallen down and been severely injured while doing yoga, Mei-fang said that the woman probably was not doing it correctly. She suggests that elderly people who want to get into yoga should progress slowly and make sure to do some simple warm-up exercises first. There is no need to make it a competition or insist on doing the most difficult moves to get the benefits of yoga.

Historic Taipei buildings made into relaxing venues
Taipei is full of interesting coffee shops and restaurants. Every once in a while, however, you will find truly unique establishments. Inevitably, businesses operating in these historical venues offer visitors a feeling of returning to the past.

Nowadays, Taipei's subway can easily take you to many historical buildings. Some of these areas feature elegant surroundings and unique restaurants. Near the subway's Ximen Station, the Dingxi Tea House in the Red House Theater complex and Fortress Coffee on the second floor of Zhongshan Hall are within a few minutes' walk. Near Zhongshan Station is the famous Spot Coffee (located inside the former U.S. Ambassador's residency.) Taking the Danshui subway line further northward to the Shuanglian Station will lead you to the Dance Coffee Shop situated inside the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute. Further north, near Yuanshan Station, is the Taipei Story House's Story Tea House, located inside a European-styled villa build in 1914 by a wealthy Taiwanese tea merchant. All of these places are wonderful sports to spend an afternoon.

The Story Tea House, run by the Landis Taipei Hotel, features outstanding food and service, including signature hotel dishes such as Alsace sauerkraut and pig's feet and Dongpo Pork. During the weekends, live music is featured in the square outside. Visitors must buy a ticket for entrance, and they can browse through the historical site before settling down for a meal.

Fortress Coffee inside the Zhongshan Hall, finished in 1936 as the Taipei City Hall during the Japanese occupation, is a favorite hangout for the elderly as well as people who work in the area. Senior citizens particularly like to visit this coffee house for nostalgic reasons. The Dance Coffee Shop operated by the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute is a good place for parents to take their children to during the weekend, because when parents are enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, they can also watch the kids romping around on the lawn within the shop's enclave.

The owners of the Dingxi Tea House inside the Red House Theater (originally a market building completed in 1908) especially like the low-key elegance that permeated many places in Taipei decades ago. As such, the interior of the teahouse, with sofas, tables and lighting fixtures, and the food and beverages, all feature the atmosphere of Taipei in the late 1930s. The teahouse has a cooperative arrangement with a tea plantation in Nantou County. Tea is blended with wine, creating a special Wulong tea wine that has become quite popular among patrons. On weekend evenings, after the Red House Theater closes for the night, the teahouse starts playing 78 rpm records from decades ago. This has become a favorite spot for fans of old music to come and enjoy the atmosphere.

Another interesting historical place in Taipei is Taiwan's first beer factory, the Jianguo Beer Factory. Opened in 1919 and still producing draft beer, this place is a living relic. In recent years, the factory has been transformed into a beer-themed leisure and recreation park. The Taiwan Beer Company has also opened the 346 Warehouse Restaurant. This eatery offers beer, a range of stir-fried dishes and various barbecued items. At night on the weekends, live bands crank out tunes, creating a festive environment.

Open-air teahouse entertained Taipei residents with television
In the 1950s, the western part of Taipei was home to an open-air teashop called the "Riverside Village". In its early days, it attracted singing stars to perform, and opened up a new and prosperous page in the history of the areas along the Danshui River. It was also the forerunner of later music halls. Today, although the establishment is long gone, it is still possible to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting along the riverbank, sipping tea and listening to music.

The stretch of Kuilin Road where it runs into Huanhe South Road in Taipei is the site of the current Sanching Temple, situated next to a park. This entire area was once within the old Riverside Village. In the "Taipei Guide" published in 1953, it was featured as an important city destination, on par with the Presidential Palace.

Chun Sheng-po recalls that life was hard in those days, and there was not much available for entertainment. A few bamboo shelters erected on the riverbank, singers were hired, and music groups took the stage, providing people with an opportunity to chat, drink tea, and enjoy the shows. This developed almost accidentally into a trend toward "open-air concerts". In their heyday, the fun extended as far as Jiangzicui in Banqiao, with some 20 establishments welcoming customers.

Chun says that in reality, no money was earned on these concerts, because the minute there was a storm, no one would show up to listen. It was not until the age of television and he was able to buy a few of the first batch of Toshiba television sets on the market did business start to pick up.

At the time, all the singing stars wanted to be on television. When major events occurred, such as Armstrong walking on the moon or a Little League world championship, the store would be crammed with people, and the 200 available seats were not nearly enough for everyone.

Recalling how hospitable his grandfather was, "It was free to watch the television. Only the tea cost money," Huang says. Neighbors from the area liked to come in; old soldiers from the Mainland would visit the place to listen to nostalgic songs to sooth their homesickness. The crowd rang with the sounds of many different accents, and the atmosphere was lively.

As television became more common, however, and music halls caught on, the riverside teashops' business gradually died down. In 1994, the Riverside Village was expropriated and turned into a park in accordance with the municipal development plan, and no longer exists.

Zhongshan North Road a microcosm of foreign cultures
All along Taipei's Zhongshan North Road are international five-star hotels and stores with name brands from throughout the world. However, many people may not realize that the street is filled with vestiges of the Japanese occupation, and American military aid, in addition to the activities of current South East Asia immigrants. From the Japanese occupation all the way to today, the 'Tiaotung' commercial district along Zhongshan North Road remains home to countless Japanese restaurants where Japanese culture can be seen. Meanwhile, its Shuangcheng commercial district offers reminders of the American soldiers' drinking culture that became established when they were stationed in Taiwan. Today, Zhongshan North Road is also home to a number of grocers selling Southeast Asia foods and is also home to churches that attract hoards of local Philippine laborers on their vacation days.

Zhongshan North Road was first constructed during the Japanese occupation, before WWII to enable Japanese to pay their respects at the Yuanshan Shrine, which was located where the Grand Hotel sits today. Presently, the area that stretches from east of Zhongshan North Road, west of Xinsheng North Road, South of Nanjing East Road and north of Civic Boulevard was the administrative zone during the period of Japanese rule called "Tacheng Ting" and included dormitories for administrative officials. It was then considered a high-end residential district where Japanese government officials and well-off Taiwanese lived. Trade began to flourish between Taiwan and Japan in the 1960s. In order to attract Japanese businessmen, many clubs and Japanese style bars opened up in the area. Over time, the area became known as the Tiaotung commercial district.

Wang Ming-ming, the chief of the Chengyi neighborhood in the Zhongshan District, said that the Chinese characters for "Tiaotung" in Japanese mean "alleys and lanes," and the area was specially laid out based on the style of certain districts in traditional Japanese cities, thereby providing a place where the Japanese occupiers who were nostalgic for motherland could come. These days, the area's streets still have a strong Japanese flavor. In total, over 100 Japanese-style barbecue restaurants, restaurants serving Japanese cuisine and piano bars are located in this small commercial district, and signs in Japanese and Japanese-style storefronts are everywhere. The strong Japanese flavor of the area is behind the Taipei City government's plans to create a designated "Japan Street" in the area. Presently, plans are being laid out to create a place that focuses on barbecue restaurants. Officials hope that this will help drum up business for restaurant operators in the area.

Many older people here still remember that Zhongshan North Road used to be home to a group of 'strange women' living on doing business with American GIs stationed in Taiwan after WWII. The song 'Say yes, my boy' is about just such scenarios. In a matter of a few short years, countless pubs opened in the neighboring Shuangcheng Street area, making local business increasingly vibrant.A number of stores in the area started selling military supplies and the various goods that were given to American soldiers and officers as fringe benefits. As such, the Chingkuang Market located within the neighborhood became one of the earliest places in Taipei that sold foreign products, said Huang Chih-chang, the head of the Hengan neighborhood in the Zhongshan District, adding that in those days, some of the biggest entertainment stars could frequently be seen browsing through the local stores.

After the American military departed Taiwan, a number of half Caucasian, half Asian faces could be seen in the area. These children of mixed race did not speak English. A good number of these younger people who were born to American fathers and Chinese mothers had a hard time adapting during their adolescence. Many gradually moved away from the area. However, one thing that has not changed is that the area is still home to pub after pub. The commonly seen English signs are historical reminders of the time when the American soldiers crowded the streets here.

While footprints of the Japanese colonialists and the American soldiers still serve to lend insight to the area's past, Saint Christopher's Catholic Church, which was once a popular spot for American soldiers to worship, is now a popular place for laborers from the Philippines to pray on the weekends ever since Taiwan opened its doors to foreign laborers in recent years. In addition, a large number of grocers and other outlets have opened up in the area around the church selling various items from Southeast Asia. A number of restaurants have also opened to cater to the demand. This has created another center for a foreign culture in the Zhongshan North Road area.

Beach training pays off for Special Olympian
Lin Wen-hong is a ninth-grader at Chang'an Middle School in Taipei, and he has Down's Syndrome. In February, he represented Taiwan in participating in the Winter Special Olympics meet in the United States, competing in the "snowshoeing" event and bringing home two gold and one silver medal. Since Taiwan has no snow to practice on, Lin runs on the beach in the sand. Even when he falls, he grits his teeth and goes on, and the hard work has paid off for him.

Chang'an Middle School principal Kao Min-hui recognized Lin on Thursday, and the boy's parents were also on hand to enjoy his glory. Lin clutched his father's hand and occasionally made gestures at him. Lin's mother, Ouyang Liang-na, carried his snowshoes and said, standing off to one side: "He tends to stick with his dad."

Mr. Lin recalls how, when his son was born, he saw the doctor swallow heavily, and felt in his heart that his son would be somehow "different"His family determined to treat him just like any other boy. Since his youth, they took their son with them wherever they went, and had him learn the piano, how to play board games, play the harmonica, swim, and rollerblade.

Lin was introduced to the ROC Special Olympics when he was in seventh grade. In eighth grade, he was selected as a member of the snowshoeing team. The event required him to run on a snow surface wearing snowshoes. To increase his strength, Lin ran three laps of the school track each morning, rain or shine. At one point, he was ready to give up because of his falls, but his parents pulled out all the stops to comfort him and encourage him to go on. After two years of training, this year Lin won the world 100 and 200 meter gold medals and earned a silver medal in the 400 meter.

Lin's homeroom teacher, Pu Mian-sheng, says that Lin often helps children with cerebral palsy in the class learn to do things, and helps mobility-impaired children push their wheelchairs. According to his teacher, Lin is a happy and loving child.

Fruit and vegetable wholesale market insider shares early-morning world
It's 3:30 a.m. While most of the people in Taipei are deep in dreamland, the lights are already on at the Number One Fruit and Vegetable market located under the Huazhong Bridge in the city's Wanhua district. Even at this early hour, the area rings with the clamor of voices as sellers of fresh fruits and vegetables fill the sales area. One by one, their items are placed on shelves and prices set through an auction process. By the time the sun comes up, the products are ready to be shipped to retail establishments throughout Taipei.

"To sell fruit and vegetables, you need to keep the freshness, and the key is speed to market and volume of sales." Lai Chao-hsin has worked at the market for 23 years, working his way up from a job as a simple merchandise handler to one of the top auctioneers. Grabbing a knife, he looks at each item prior to the start of the sale. Each link of the trip from field to market is a race against the clock. "Auctioneers are in the service business. We help the farmers, but we also keep an eye out for the consumers as well."

"20...20...19...19..." The electronic auction clock's LCD display lights up, showing the price as it moves downward. The auctioneer constantly spits out numbers as buyers watch the figures slide toward the price they have in mind. At any time, they might reach out and grab a ticket, and after they have placed a winning bid, they have it stamped by the auctioneer to close the deal.

Today's market is far removed from the old days, when non-computerized auctions carried the potential for fraud. The electronic system used at the market these days means that the entire auction process is transparent, both the auctioneer's price calls and the bids by buyers. It takes only three or four seconds for a transaction to be completed.

The fruit and vegetable auction is based on "lots", with the quantity of each lot ranging from a few boxes to several hundred. This particular market takes in between 1500 and 2000 tons of fruits and vegetables each day, and over 5,000 lots of produce are sold and priced between the hours of 3:30 and 7 a.m. A top auctioneer like Lai, with years of experience, may move 80 tons of produce a day.

"People who aren't insiders often write these long articles about the price of product, but the reality is that they just don't understand the auction process," says Lai. "Take cabbage. On any one day, we bring in five or six varieties of cabbage. Some people don't understand things. They look on the board and see the lowest price and think it applies to all the different kinds."

Prices are decided largely by supply and demand, Lai says. The auctioneer plays several roles. They must deal with the buyers each day, but also take on front-line duties with regard to the hard-working farmers. "If things don't sell for a good price, we often have to play the role of a market analyst, sharing our experience with the growers." Produce prices bob up and down, and the farmers are not necessarily making a profit. For example, after a typhoon, the farmers have nothing to harvest, and although consumers cry about high prices, the farmers have it tough too.

Afternoon wet markets' popularity fights economic downturn
Despite the poor economy these days, consumers are still flocking to late afternoon markets, which have proven to be a rare bright spot. The Yungchun Market stands out in Taipei's eastern sector.Located near the Yungchun MRT stop on the Xinyi District's Hulin Street, the less-than-500 meter-long market is filled with housewives looking for a good bargain. They come from all directions, setting out to find reasonably priced fruits and vegetables, seafood, hot prepared foods and dried foods.

Along the street, the hawkers shout, "Everything is on sale! After we're sold out, we're heading off." Shortly after 4 p.m., while a bunch of middle aged and older women are sorting through the pocketbooks one hawker is selling next to the subway station, a continuous rush of people keep emerging from the station's escalators to head for the market. As the afternoon progresses, more and more working women wearing pant suits and high heels can be seen looking through the fresh fruit to find the best produce at a couple of fruit stands located on the other side of the street.

Miss Chang, who originally lived on the nearby Sungshan Road with her mother, says that although she moved to Banqiao in Taipei County after she got married, she still delights in frequently catching the subway to Yungchun Station in order to browse through the evening market here. She says that she can find everything she needs in one trip to the market. "After you have gotten off work for the day, one-stop shopping at the market will get everything you want, from fresh foods to cooked foods. There's no need to take something out of the freezer to thaw," she says, adding that goods are cheaper at the afternoon market by some 30-40% than those at the morning markets or the supermarkets. This is especially the case with fruit, she says. "In addition, the closer it gets to closing time, the cheaper the prices become. However, by the closing time you of course have a smaller selection from which to choose."

Meanwhile, Miss Lin, who lives a bit further away in the Donghu section of Taipei, is also a frequent visitor at the Yungchun Market. She admits that despite having a small family, she usually ends up buying too much at a supermarket and has to thrown some of it away. By going to the late afternoon market, which she calls an "open air hypermart," she can buy fruit and vegetables in one stop and she does not need to buy more than she needs. She adds that when she is feeling lazy and does not want to cook, she will simply buy half a prepared chicken and heat it up at home. "This place is really a heaven for housewives," she says.

NTU Hospital boasts new time-saving lab station for blood tests
National Taiwan University Hospital recently has added a second location in the hospital were adults can take blood tests. The move has helped to significantly reduce the amount of time that patients need to wait in line in order to have a blood test carried out on them. In the past, patients had to wait on average for about 30 minutes, but now with the new station, the time waiting in line has been cut to 17 minutes. In the future, administrators hope that they will be able to further reduce the amount of time required for patients to get their blood tested during the busiest hours in the morning. This will offer greater convenience to patients, helping to cut the amount of time they waste in line. On average, about 1,800 people need to get blood tests at National Taiwan University Hospital each day. In the past, there was only one station where people went to get pricked for blood. During the peak period, from the time of pulling a number to the time of finishing having blood taken would require that people mull about the station for some 50 or 60 minutes. In the event that there was a computer failure, the line would become even longer. The station faced a chronic situation of being overcrowded. As a result, the head of NTU Hospital, Chen Ming-feng, decided that upon the completion and opening of the new NTU Children’s Hospital building to add a new station for blood tests for adults as well as a new station for children. The director of the NTU Hospital’s Laboratory Medicine Department Jen Chiang-fu said that the hospital is presently engaging in cooperation with manufacturers of precision equipment. It has spent NT$400 million on renting automated testing computer equipment. In the future, this will help alleviate the situation of patients having to wait a long time in line to receive the paperwork regarding the blood tests that their doctors have called for. Under the latest plan, patients will only have to pick up a bar code and then they will take it to the counter of the laboratory where the technicians will swipe it. The identity of the patient and the test prescribed will immediately pop up on the screen. In addition, a state-of-the-art mechanical arm will help the technicians select the appropriate test tube required for the blood tests to be carried out. Without a doubt, getting children to take blood tests is much more difficult than for adults. Children have smaller blood vessels, fear being pricked by the needle and are prone to making a scene. NTU Hospital has specially delegated a lab technician and is making use of the panda theme, which is popular among children given the recent arrival of two panda bears in Taiwan from mainland China. The technician wears a panda hat when taking the blood of the children. The director of NTU Hospital’s General Laboratory Department Chu Su-yu said that having the technicians wear the panda hats helps to settle down the children and put them at ease, alleviating the pain when they are being pricked by the needle. Chu said that in the future the lab technicians will wear other hats based on the season. For instance, when it comes to Christmas time, they will wear Santa hats, Chu said.

Taipei hospital's cardiac surgery innovation earns overseas approval
Traditional aortic dissection surgery is apt to produce tears in tissues during the process of suturing the man-made artery to the natural. As a result, Taipei's Chen Hsing Rehabilitation Medical Center has developed a sort of "artificial vessel connector", the use of which stabilizes the soft ends of the artificial vessel before the aorta end is inserted. After that, a clip is used to bind the two together, without the use of any stitches.

Chen Hsing Rehabilitation Medical Center has used this technique on 19 patients thus far. The invention also marks the first time a home-grown Taiwanese invention has obtained US FDA approval as a medical device. Not only does the invention greatly increase survival rates, it also provides greater convenience for the surgeon.

Director Wei Cheng of its Cardiac Medicine Center says that arterial dissections happen frequently during seasons when the temperature drops rapidly, since blood pressure can rise suddenly without warning, causing ruptures of the membranes within blood vessels. Once the arterial dissection occurs, many pathological changes begin, which can be life-threatening in most cases. In recent years, with advances in medicine, death rates from surgery to correct the condition have run about 30%, making this the cardiac surgeon's nightmare.

Wei says that traditional surgery for this condition uses suturing of the aorta, inserting an artificial section. However, after the dissection, tissue is very weak, and the use of sutures is very apt to create tears or bleeding at the suture site. This leads to hemorrhaging and death on the operating table. Moreover, suturing takes more time, which means a longer time with blood circulation artificially stopped. Each second can cause damage to the body, particularly the brain.

The development by the Chen Hsing not only eliminates the need for sutures, it also provides a greater surface area for contact between the artificial and natural tissues. This means that the stress is more evenly distributed on the tissue, preventing splits. Since the duration of surgery is also shorter, 17 of the 19 patients in the study were able to come off the respirator on the same day of the surgery, and post-surgical scans revealed no bulging or separation.

Tzu Chi volunteers happy with what they have
Each set of chairs in the house of Chen Ah-tao, a volunteer worker with the Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation, is of an entirely different style. The point of these chairs, according to Chen, is to add decoration throughout the workshop. Chen went to a variety of secondhand furniture shops where she picked out the chairs. Meanwhile, Hsiao Hsiu-chu has a wide variety of styles of clothes hung in the closet. However, each piece of clothing in the closet is used. The only new item in the closet is her Tzu Chi uniform.

Chen and Hsiao are Tzu Chi "roadside entrepreneurs." The two women do not desire a lot and are content with what they have. They treasure their good luck and cherish the goods they have. While they are by no means wealthy, and in fact are more on the poor end of the scale, they nonetheless feel joy each day.

Chen works as a hair stylist. She previously pledged before Buddha her willingness to donate NT$1 million to help others in need. Even though each time she washes hair for others she earns only NT$100, after three yeas of hard work and the skin of her hands having turned rough and dry, she has finally washed 10,000 heads of hair. As a result, she has raised and donated funds to the foundation to help others.

Chen was overjoyed to reveal the secret behind her life. She said that when she goes to the market to buy fruit and vegetables, she will ask the operators of produce stalls for the produce that they have thrown out or that has gone rotten. In addition, she will go throughout the neighborhood and collect old furniture and used electrical appliances that others have tossed out. Chen does not spend much money and donates just about all the money she earns to help others. Friends tell her that she would at least save some money for a casket for herself for when she passes away one day. Ah-tao responds directly by saying that she wants to donate her organs when she dies. "The body can be recycled. This means that I can save on having to buy a casket!"

Hsiao works as a wholesaler of disposable plates, bowls and chopsticks. Hsiao works as a volunteer at the Bade environmental protection station operated by Tzu Chi. Given the concentration of love and compassion at the station that comes from the volunteers who work there, the station is a popular place with companies, clubs and school groups to witness environmental protection work in action. When speaking to entrepreneurs, Hsiao Hsiu-chu frequently says, "Everyone can be a successful entrepreneur. I am! I am a success businesswoman as a 'roadside entrepreneur,'" Hsiao says.

Hsiao lives a quiet and frugal life. She said that except for her Tzu Chi uniform, all of the other clothes in her closet are secondhand. While she purchased her Tzu Chi uniform, the rest of the clothing is from the environmental protection station. Hsiao stressed that wealth comes from not haggling about things with others. This enables one to realize how much one already possesses, she said.

Neihu Technology Park to light up riverside buildings
The Taipei Neihu Technology Park has developed quickly in recent years, and a number of styles of office buildings have been erected in the area alongside the Keelung River. At night, the buildings are lit up. As the area continues to develop, it could eventually give a new image to the city.

The Taipei City Government's Department of Economic Development is drafting a plan that calls for cooperation with the first row of buildings along the riverside that are located in the Neihu Technology Park. The city government is looking to promote a nighttime lighting project. Having the buildings along the riverside lit up at night would create a new "beacon of light" in the city.

At present, over 20 buildings located in the Taipei Neihu Technology Park are located along Neihu Road and then around Titing Boulevard heading north. The buildings are home primarily to high-tech companies and firms in the media industry. In the evening, most of the buildings are lit up. However, the lighting is not organized; lights are turned on at different times. A number of companies previously suggested to the city government that the Neihu Technology Park should be upgraded to become a world-class industrial zone. They recommended that the government come up with an integrated plan for the area, somewhat like what Hong Kong and Shanghai have adopted in terms of lighting of the buildings along the watersides in those cities. People have said that having an integrated lighting plan for the area would also help to boost tourism in Taipei.

Chiang Mei-ling, the director of the Neihu Technology Park Service Center, which is an agency under the city government's Department of Economic Development, said that the companies in the technology park and the city government get together on a regular basis to discuss a variety of issues. Chiang said a number of companies in the technology park previously expressed similar opinions. She said many companies in the park feel that even though there are calls both at home and overseas to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions, something still has to be done to coordinate the lighting in the park area. Chiang said many believe the effort should be initiated by the city government and that it could still emphasize energy-saving illumination or renewable energy. With this in mind, the exteriors of the buildings could be fitting with lights in a coordinated way to attract attention to the Neihu Technology Park. This would significantly increase visibility for the park zone, they said.

Liu Mei-hsiu, a section chief at the Department of Economic Development, said that the biggest problem being faced in the project to illuminate the buildings in the park zone is electricity costs. Liu said the city government has sought out Taiwan Power to cooperate in the project. Taipower, however, has yet to agree to the proposal. As a result, for the time being it is for the city and the companies in buildings along the riverside to work together to find a way to finance the project. According to a draft developed by the city, the city government would provide subsidies covering half of the electricity bills associated with the project in the future. Hong Kong and Shanghai would serve as reference in terms of the time in which the buildings are lit up. Most likely, illumination would begin as the sun sets and would continue until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.

The Department of Economic Development said that a survey it carried out indicates that most of the areas in the park zone are already sufficiently illuminated. There are still several undeveloped plots that will require lighting. Once those remaining spots are tackled and the project is realized, the Neihu Technology Park will be on its way to becoming more beautiful at night.

Couple with expertise in horticulture set sights on restoring butterfly population
Chang Hsien-chung and his wife Chen Yu-chen originally lived in Taipei's Neihu District. 15 years ago they moved to Hualien County to raise orchids. After learning about horticulture, they devoted themselves full-time to this profession. These days, they are intent on the conservation of butterflies and creating ecosystems that facilitate the growth of butterfly populations. The couple's goal is to create ecosystems favorable to butterflies on at least 50 school campuses in Hualien County. They hope to make Hualien County into a paradise for watching butterflies.

Chang and Chen moved their family to Hualien to start growing orchids 15 years ago. Chen, who studied horticulture, created gardens and provided landscaping for bed and breakfast established in the area as well as people who built villas in Hualien. It was by chance that she came into contact with and became involved in the effort by Asia Cement to improve the environment around its Hualien cement factory. The company built a greenhouse and initiated a project to foster the growth of the population of butterflies in the area. This triggered the couple's interest in the regeneration of butterflies. Over the past 10 years, they gained quite a bit of experience and began to integrate gardening and landscaping with their efforts to boost butterfly populations. In addition to making the environments of their customers greener, this would enable their clients to enjoy seeing countless numbers of butterflies fluttering about.

Chang said that at first, customers were not overly interested in the butterfly part of the plan. In the process of creating an environment to foster the growth of butterflies, Chang and his wife first needed to plant flora that butterfly larvae enjoyed feeding on to attract butterflies to the area to lay their eggs. The next step was to plant nectar plants, which would provide a habitat for the butterflies and a means for them to survive. Chang said that many customers thought that this generated a lot of extra costs and just was not worth it. However, Chang and his wife continued to try to persuade their customers to go this route. Many of their clients have now accepted the plans, which he said has given him and his wife a sense of accomplishment.

As if helping their customers create an environment that is beneficial to the growth of butterflies was not enough, the couple also designed a greenhouse on their own and started growing a variety of nectar plants and tangerine trees inside. They then went out into the wild where they captured some butterflies and released them in the greenhouse. They have extended their efforts to restore butterfly populations throughout elementary and junior high schools in Hualien that are interested in the project. They have already set a target of creating ecosystems favorable to butterflies on at least 50 school campuses throughout the country. The couple hopes to gradually realize their vision over the next five years.

Street 'statues' enliven Taipei square in stillness
"Is that a statue, or a real guy?" At the Xinyi Viewshow Square in Taipei, a series of human figures stand in frozen poses for passersby in a tableau unique to the city. Pedestrians toss money to make them move, and the performers accumulate their own stores of stories, both happy and sad, from what they see on the streets, experiencing the full gamut of human emotion passing them by.

Three years ago, Chang Wang, originally a director, convinced the City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs and the Warner Movie Studio to donate the use of the square on vacation days for street performances. The interaction between "statues" and passersby would spark interest, he said, and bring some artistic joy to the otherwise stark panorama of city government buildings.

Huang Kuo-fu, 56, is a cab driver in Taipei. Three years ago, when he heard about the event, he went to Chang and asked to join the troupe. "A-fu", as he is known, said plainly that he was no performer. "No problem," said Chang. "The minute you hear the money clinking, you'll really be happy, and you can show that happy face." A-fu was really into his newfound activity, and often takes in five to six thousand NT dollars a day working as "Hoshigami", a popular game character.
　
Ting Fan used to be the principal of an experimental elementary school. The first time she performed as a statue, she appeared as the "Blue Alien", an extraterrestrial figure. Her costuming was stifling, and in just ten minutes, her entire body was covered in sweat. The sight lines weren't very good in the outfit either, and she was constantly being poked by curious people. In fact, the conditions were so onerous that she felt terrified.

One time, however, a little girl stood there and constantly applauded her. Finally, Ting stretched out a strangely-shaped hand to shake with the girl. Seeing the happiness on the faces of the girl an her parents, Ting felt that her work was actually meaningful after all, despite the hardships.

People walk back and forth constantly on the square, and a tiny greeting or smile can have a big effect. Ballet dancer Wang Ching-wen, who plays the "Moon Spirit", once wore contact lenses during her shift on the square. A wind came up, and her eyes welled up with tears. Onlookers didn't laugh at her, though; on the contrary, they took it upon themselves to offer her tissue paper to wipe away her tears. In the winter, evenings can be quite cold, and one audience member watched Wang for quite awhile and then quietly bought a box of chocolate and placed it near her feet, then put an NT$500 bill in the box, saying, "Get home early tonight and get some rest!"

At New Year's last year, a female high school student came alone to the square and without any preamble grabbed the hands of the "Blue Alien" and some other characters. It was not until workers came over that she discovered that the "statues" were in fact actors. The girl not only joined the troupe later, but also struck up a friendship with the Alien. Another time, a pair of young people on their first date met up at the square in front of where Chang was performing. No one could have guessed that six months later, the couple would be back at the same statue talking about breaking up. Fortunately, they made up and walked away hand in hand. Chang felt that he was on an emotional roller-coaster watching all this, but still retained his cold, emotionless and detached demeanor as befitted a statue.

Chen Chi-cheng, 17, is another member of the troupe. He joined just upon his graduation from high school, and mainly performs as a character that writhes on the ground. At first he had a hard time with it, but a word from Chang reminded him that "the ancestors of Man all came from just such beginnings." Today, Chen has come up with four distinct manners of crawling along, and is the only one of his peers still with the group.

"Moon Spirit" Wang Ching-wen says that street performers have it tough. If they were only in it to make money, they wouldn't last long. She once was in Barcelona where she met a visitor from Hong Kong at a ballet performance who said, "I know you from Taipei!" Back in the city, she was recognized by a French tourist who said, "Aren't you that moon spirit on the street there?" The world of art is truly without borders, and in many cases, these chance encounters are the greatest treasure of the people who give their art to passersby in the street.

Former convicts take course learning how their facial features impact their fate
Sitting inside a classroom at the Shihlin District Community College in Taipei City is A-teh, a man who was formerly in the prison system but who has paid is debt to society and has been rehabilitated. A-teh is sitting before a mirror. Sitting next to him is an instructor, Kuo Ling, who is studying his face. This is the first time in his life that A-teh has taken such a close look at his own features. A-teh said with some surprise, “Isn’t it the truth….the secrets in the features of one’s face long ago exposed my shortcomings and problems. Had I known all of this many years ago, I then would have made different decisions in my life.” Sitting in the same classroom were other people who have been released from prison on parole, former prisoners who have completed their sentences, and people who have served their time in jail but are still under custody. Thanks to arrangements made by the Shihlin District Prosecutor’s Office, all of them are now learning physiognomy, which is the assessment of a person’s character or personality from their outer appearance. Teacher Kuo Ling and a number of volunteers have helped the group of people who have been in the prison system to learn the various types of faces and features of faces, as well as the specific spots on the face that can help in predicting a person’s luck. The instructors are really making sure that the students are paying attention and learning the material. They are also teaching the students how they can change their appearance through amending their behavior and better taking care of themselves. This will be important in changing their destinies. The students are listening intently to what they are being told. When the class is over, many of them take pictures of their family members to the instructors, hoping that the teachers can provide some insight. One’s appearance is the result of how one feel’s in one’s heart, said one student. Some of the students said that in the future they want to stop creasing their brow, increase the amount of exercise they get, do good things for others and say good things. One student said that frequently drinking liquor has made his body unhealthy and this is something he wants to change. The course that featured six physiognomy classes came to an end on Sunday. The former convicts said they were so grateful for having the chance to take the classes. Each one of them wrote a brief note to express his hopes for the future. Each one of them knows that he faces quite a responsibility. Each of the students pledged that starting from this day onward, each would do his best to change his fate by making changes to their lifestyles that would alter their appearance, thereby altering their outlook on life. Chen Jih-hui-ling, a guardian who works for the Shihlin District Prosecutor’s Office and who has helped to promote the course for the convicts, said that over the past 20-some years, she has used all sorts of means to try to get convicts back on the right path. This marked the first time, however, that they had cooperated with Teacher Kuo Ling and the Shihlin Community College. Chen said that the course was well-received and appears to have sparked the people who took it to want to change their ways in order to improve their prospects for the future.

Food court at National Palace Museum opens, highlighting traditional Taiwaneseshes
It was just last week that the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei hotel was selling frozen dumplings for the astronomical price of NT$44 per dumpling. On Thursday, the Silks Palace restaurant at the National Palace Museum, which is operated by the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei, began selling a bowl of lard rice at a pricey NT$18. The restaurant is honing in on selling the food to local and foreign tourists. It is also bringing tasty and traditional Taiwanese food into a more formal restaurant setting, and is looking to wage battle against night markets and streetside stalls that also sell the dish.

The restaurant and hotel operator originally had the idea of trying to make a buck from a wave of mainland Chinese tourists that are expected to come to Taiwan in the future. As a result, the Silks Palace restaurant set up a food court on the second basement level at the museum. The food court opened don Thursday. The Grand Formosa Regent Taipei and Chikan Dan Tsu Noodles have cooperated in bringing the tasty Tainan noodle dish and other tasty dishes in all their authenticity to the National Palace Museum. The general manager of the Grand Formosa Regent, Steven Pan, invited Tainan City Mayor Tsu Tien-tsai up to the restaurant for the opening so that he could sample the noodles and other dishes on offer and announce that they taste exactly the same as they do down in Tainan.

Having spent half a year traveling all throughout Taiwan, the head of the Grand Formosa Regent's banquet division, Ting Yuan-wei, finally decided to set his sites on Chikan Dan Tsu Noodles. He said that the restaurant offers a wide range of traditional Taiwanese dishes, including lard rice, millet roe with rice, rice cakes, glutinous rice meat dumplings, and salty rice pudding. Each one of these dishes served up ranks among the tastiest in its class of food.

The founder of Chikan Dan Tsu Noodles, Tseng Feng-yu, was the daughter-in-law of the owner of the famous Tainan Dan Tsu Noodles restaurant. She learned about the art of cooking from her mother-in-law. Tseng ultimately split up with her husband and in 2002, she opened her first restaurant on Mintsu Road in front of the Chikan Tower. Over the years, the restaurant has become a resounding success, and Chihkan Dan Tsu Noodles is now a familiar brand name.

In Tainan, a bowl of lard rice sells for NT$25. After transplanting the dish to Taipei, the price for a bowl was slashed to NT$18. Tseng Feng-yu said that her aim is not only the tourist business, but to appeal to the Taipei public as well.

The theme of the food court at the National Palace Museum is to put Taiwan's culture of food on display. On average, the food on offer at the facility sells for between NT$180 and NT$220 a plate. Ting Yuan-wei said that the key to saving money is how you order. "It is no problem to spend only NT$100 and leave with a full stomach," he said.

New immigrants, families benefit from variety of classes in Taipei City
The weekend classes sponsored by the Office of New Immigrants of the Taipei City Department of Society held a ceremony marking the completion of the course on Sunday, at which a handful of males stood out among the sea of females. They were there to study the Minnan dialect as quickly as possible, the better to meld into the culture of their wives. One husband who had married an Indonesian woman was working to learn Indonesian to further their relationship.

Luo Tai-ti, who hails from the Philippines, met his wife when she took a trip there. After their marriage in June of last year, he moved to Taiwan and started a new life. A good cook, this year he took the grand prize in the Taipei City Beef Noodles Festival international division with his greenwood red-bean recipe. However, in hopes of assimilating earlier to the culture of Taiwan, each weekend he takes off his chef's hat and puts on his thinking cap, studying Minnan and Mandarin with other new immigrants, in a class where he is practically the only man in view.

The classes offer Minnan and Mandarin language lessons for recent immigrants, and also advice on how new husbands can better fit into their wives' culture. Lin Chen-hui, who is taking the Indonesian language class at Tatung, came to learn his wife's language. He believes that this will help them communicate and better their relationship.

Yuan Ting-han, who is Vietnamese, thought that it was very difficult to adapt to life in a traditional household with four generations living there at first. She never thought that her mother in law would teach her how to cook Taiwanese food and also come to Vietnamese language and culture classes to learn how to better get on with her daughter-in-law.

Yuan says that she speaks Chinese and Vietnamese in turn with her mother-in-law, and both are picking up the languages as children would. She says the classes have added a lot of pleasure to their lives.

The Household Administration began offering classes for new immigrants in 2000, and has already sponsored some 184 different sessions serving over 6000 people. This year the graduation ceremony also featured made-to-measure academic robes and saw the graduates throwing their mortarboards into the air to mark their passage.

Creative designers join hands to open the '7=1 Shop'
Tough economic times can’t keep creativity down! Six creative designers have recently joined hands to open the ‘7=1 Shop’, and celebrated their grand opening in eastern Taipei this afternoon. The shop features all handmade works, and even the woodwork, floors and dressing rooms are DIY, providing a fitting setting for the creativity within. "The six of us were enthusiastic from the start, and we couldn't stand always being ticketed by the police when selling on the street. So we decided to get together and open a store of our own. We're trying to create the possibility for a new type of creativity. As "Hui Ling", an artist who works with zippers, explains, the group found a storefront in mid-October, and spent two weeks working on the interior design. They also designed a sheltered fitting room and an open work area. The store went into trial operation on the 15th, and formally opened with a celebration this afternoon at 2 p.m. Lin Shi-chang, who does clothing and accessory design, says that there were originally seven in the group who were thinking of opening up a shop, and that is why the name ‘7=1’ was chosen. Although one person was forced to withdraw along the way, the group decided that in the future they would allow other designers to place objects in the store or to display wares there, to make the store more diversified and interesting. This group of talented 25-30 year old designers said that in the future, there would be various seasonal and holiday specials on the items they carry. The six will each have the right to decide on the main design theme during the month of their birthday, and will be able to give free rein to their creativity then, decorating the shop window to their taste. "Hui Ling", who is a graduate of a university department of design, first used some unused colored zippers at his school ten years ago to produce small multi-use bags. He gave them to friends, who loved them, and began making more of them. Today, the "iamsefs" brand name has cell phone bags, change purses, passport cases and other items in its line. Lin Shi-chang is in the late stages of study at Kuokuang School of the Arts, studying design. He uses printed Hakka fabric together with other materials to make scarves and pants with his "Ta Hsi Tang" brand, which has attracted many die-hard followers over time. Other brands in the store include Crazy Mary, Lazy Zoo, Yellow Family and Daladdda, and the items on offer range from unique hats, quilted bags, hand-made underwear straps and scarves and items made from zippers. '7=1' is located on No. 15, Lane 31, Section 1, Ta'an Road, and there are special sales going on from now through December 25, with everything in the store 15% off. For more information, call 27116460.

Artistic cows to be seen throughout Taipei as part of Cow Parade Taipei 2009
Just around the corner is 2009, the Year of the Cow. The Huashan Culture Park in downtown Taipei, has gotten a head start and has created a “cow shed.” A bunch of “white and unadorned cows” are being “raised in the pen.” The “white cows” are waiting for artists to come along and change their looks, hoping to become flashy and original “artistic cows.” These cows will then “enter the market” during the Chinese Lunar New Year festival at the end of January. At that time, these “artistic cows” of all kinds will be visible on the streets throughout Taipei, creating an interesting way to mark the New Year. This activity is being called the Cow Parade Taipei 2009, which is an international public art event. Just like the name of the activity suggests, the final part of the activity will be a parade of the artistic cows throughout the city. A number of artists from throughout the world have been invited here to demonstrate their creativity. Each person is being given a cow sculpture made out of fiberglass. At this point, each of the artists has a totally clean slate to work with. Each of the artists will be free to exhibit his or her creativity as long as they avoid political, religious or sexual themes. After completing the cows, the likenesses of the animals will be placed at various spots throughout the city, with the hope of surprising and amazing city folk and helping to enrich the city’s artistic landscape. After the public exhibition of the cows, the figures will then be auctioned off in the art market, with the proceeds from the auction being given to charitable organizations. The company responsible for planning the cow parade is headquartered in the US state of Connecticut. CowParade Holdings Corp. held the first activity of this kind in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998. Since then, similar activities have been held in over 60 cities throughout the world, including New York City, Paris, London, Rome and Tokyo. To this point, over 10,000 people worldwide have taken part in this art event, having completed over 5,000 head of cattle. The auctions so far have resulted in raising over US$15 million (about NT$500 million). Taipei will be the 65th city in the world to hold a cow parade event. According to plans for the Cow Parade Taipei, some 84 creative artists will be taking part in the event, including artists, students in fine arts-related departments, as well as self-educated artists. Among the participants will be fashion designers Lin Kuo-chi and Huang Chia-hsiang, glass artist Wang Chia-chun, and writer Huang Chun-ming. It is expected that upon completion, between 120 and 150 “artistic cows” will have been produced, which will be the largest number among any of the cities in Asia that have held the activity. At present, once can already see witness some of the creativity of the artists at the workshop in the Huashan Culture Park. One of the participants has affixed computer keyboard keys to the cow that he or she is responsible for creating. Another of the artists has cut out small pieces of the hollow part of a cow, making it seem like a Chinese paper cutting. Artist Chuang Pu has decided to dress up his cow into the likeness of a Formosan sika deer. Chuang has drawn white spots that are a feature of the deer onto the cow and he has also put antlers on the cow. Chuang said that over the past several years, cows have faced a difficult plight. First there was mad cow disease and then more recently there has been the tainted milk powder caused by the addition of melamine to products, he said. In light of these incidents, Chuang said he decided to set the theme of his cow as “three deer,” which is a takeoff on the tainted milk powder scandal centering on the Chinese company Sanlu, which means “three deer.” Hung Tien-yu is an artist whose work recently has focused on using the likenesses of various body parts as critical elements in his paintings. Hung has painted the outside of the cow to make it look like what an X-ray would show the cow as. On the cow, he has painted the bone frame of the animal and its various organs. The theme of this work is “Dismembered Cow.” The “cow shed” workshop at the Huashan Culture Park is open to the public. Over 100 of the “artistic cows” will be on display there from December 26 until February 1, when the “Spring Cow Exhibition” will be held. From February 6 until the end of March, the cows will be freed and will be placed on streets throughout Taipei. For instance, some of the cows will be placed at the Taipei City Government and nearby plazas. The cows will also be seen all along Chunghsiao East Road from the city government over to the Taipei train station and into the West Gate District. After May 1, the cows will be herded and then moved to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung for exhibition there. Two months later in early July they will be moved to Kaohsiung where they will be on display throughout the World Games.

Local choreographer looks to Archimedes for inspiration for new dance
Chang Hsiu-ping, a local choreographer who is one of the leaders of the San-Shih Dance Company, has a new work that is entitled "Handprints of Archimedes." The dance takes into consideration the distances of the forward and backward movements of the soles of feet and the palms of hands, while focusing on gestures and the movement of limbs as a means of dialectical communication. A bathtub has been moved onto the stage to recreate the historical setting in which the famous scientist Archimedes made the scientific discoveries of buoyancy and density when bathing. Chang hsiu-ping chuckled when she said, "Thousands of years ago when Archimedes was sitting naked in the bathtub and made the discovery, he got up and ran out into the street without a shred of clothing and shouted out 'I've got it!' This is something that a creator or innovator can imagine, especially when they have broken through a bottleneck!"

Chang Hsiu-ping started her career in Taiwan's famous Cloud Gate dance troupe. In The Dream of the Red Chamber, Chang was the lead dancer, playing the role of the maiden wearing white. In 1997, she went on her own with dancer Wu Pi-jung to found the San-Shih Dance Company (san-shih means 30). Even though Chang's background is in dance, she is quite curious about science and engineering. In the past, she has moved a surgical table onto the stage, using dance as a means to describe medicine and disease. The title of this work was "I Wish You Good Health."

This time, she switched her sights to Archimedes, having the ancient scientist serve as the conceptual foundation for her latest work "Handprints of Archimedes." In this dance, the dancers use gestures, sign language and body movement to express the process of scientific experiment. Chang Hsiu-ping explained, "For instance, dancers will use their two hands to form a big fist that symbolizes they are looking at test tubes. Meanwhile, movements by the soles of the feet will measurement data. The dancers then move their bodies in various ways to resemble that they are reading books. Throughout the dance, dancers periodically will shout out the word 'Why?'"

In addition, Chang has sought to recreate the historical setting that led to Archimedes forming his scientific theories by putting a white bathtub on stage. The bathtub is projected onto a screen on the stage. On the top of the screen is a scene in which biological cells are breaking apart and reproducing, which is a response to the process of experimentation portrayed by the dancers on stage.

Chang Hsiu-ping stressed the importance of communication. "Even though we are discussing science, the entire dance is in fact a type of communication. During the process of experimentation, scientists have a form of communication among one another in which they discuss theories and reasoning in order to authenticate the discovery. While in the process of proving the theory, scientists must carefully observe what is going on around them. All of this is communication," she said.

"Handprints of Archimedes" will be performed at the Experimental Theater at the National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center starting on November 28.

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Control Yuan censures Jiasian Township head
The Control Yuan censured Liu Chien-fang (劉建芳), the mayor of Kaohsiung County’s Jiasian Township (甲仙), for not properly carrying out his disaster prevention duties during landslides caused by Typhoon Morakot that led to the deaths of more than 400 people in Siaolin Village (小林).

The Control Yuan censured Liu by a six to five vote on Thursday.

Siaolin Village was almost completely wiped out when the typhoon triggered massive landslides in August that left more than 400 residents buried alive.

Control Yuan members Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) and Chao Chang-ping (趙昌平), who proposed action against Liu, said he should be held responsible for the tragedy because he ignored several warnings that called for evacuating the village and thus failed in his duty to protect the public.

Chao said that he tried to call the township’s emergency operation center via telephone several times on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 when the situation was most critical in Jiasian, but no one answered the phone.

Huang said Liu was not aware that Siaolin was buried by landslides early on the morning of Aug. 8 until two days later.

“[Liu] failed to fulfill his duty to protect storm victims,” he said.

Liu said that the accusations are not fair.

“There are only six township mayors across the country who were honored in public by President Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] for efforts in rescuing Typhoon Morakot victims, and I was one of them,” he said. “If I should be censured, was the presidential honor just a joke?”

“You can check the telephone record; I called Siaolin Village chief Liu Jen-ho [劉仁和] six times on Aug. 8. The village was buried because of landslides, and you should find out why the landslides occurred before holding anybody responsible,” he said.

Liu Chien-fang also said that if no action was taken against Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興), who was abroad at the time, it was not fair to censure only him. A motion to censure Yang was also proposed during the meeting, but was voted down six to five.

After the Control Yuan announced its decision, Liu Chien-fang’s case was to be transferred to the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries, which will decide what other penalties he might receive.

Typhoon Morakot claimed at least 700 lives and caused the nation’s worst flooding in 50 years. Ma was forced to reshuffle the Cabinet in September over criticism of the government’s response to the Morakot aftermath.

DPP demands new beef negotiations
Taiwan’s agreement to relax restrictions on imports of US beef is much laxer than that agreed between South Korea and the US, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, reiterating its demand the government re-launch negotiations with the US over the decision.

Speaking at a press conference, DPP Spokesman Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) showed an enlarged copy of the protocol signed between Taiwan and US on Oct. 22 and the US-South Korea agreement forged last year when Seoul lifted its ban on US beef, saying the requirements listed in the Taiwan version were much more lenient.

The government has said that the agreement opening Taiwan’s market to US beef and related products was comparable to Seoul’s.

The eight-page protocol said Taiwan would allow imports of US bone-in beef, bovine internal organs and meat from cattle older than 30 months of age — all forbidden products under the previous ban because of concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. These products are still banned in South Korea, Tsai said.

“Not only did President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) lack competence when negotiating with the US, he also jeopardized Taiwan’s public health by lying to the people. The DPP reiterates its demand for the government to start the negotiations afresh in the face of a flawed protocol,” Tsai said.

DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) criticized National Security Council (NSC) chief Su Chi (蘇起), who on Thursday said that being an international agreement, it was perfectly normal that the Taiwan-US protocol to be published in English only.

“According to the law, all treaties or agreements must be stated in Chinese and the official language used by the other party. It is hard to fathom why our NSC chief has such a poor understanding of international courtesy,” Kuan said.

The protocol can be found on the Department of Health Web site.

European ‘friend of Taiwan’ downplays China threat
A robust economy and mature democracy are Taiwan’s top two assurances against being “sold out” in the shadow of China’s growing financial prowess, but the country should also strive to forge closer economic ties with other regions, Charles Tannock, chairman of the European Parliament Taiwan Friendship group, said in an interview with the Taipei Times last week.

The London-based Tannock was with a delegation of nine members in his first trip to Taiwan.

“Of course we would be concerned if there was any evidence of this country being sold out entirely to Chinese political and economic interests, but I don’t think there is any evidence,” he said.

“I don’t even think it is remotely possible … [because] your economy is too large and too robust,” he said. “Your people are far too independent-spirited to allow such a thing,” he said, expressing confidence in both Taiwanese voters and leaders.

Tannock has been a longstanding ally of Taiwan on the European front, supporting the country’s bid for increased participation in international organizations, including the World Health Assembly and most recently, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and International Civil Aviation Organization.

Tannock has also been an advocate for Taiwan’s inclusion in the Schengen visa-waiver program, which he said could be approved as early as the first quarter of next year.

He said that the UK and Ireland had already granted Taiwanese visa-free access, so “there should be no technical concerns” over the issue, downplaying concerns over Taiwan’s passport issuance process.

Tannock also dismissed speculation that Beijing was a factor in the delay, saying the postponement was mainly because the current European Commission was a “lame duck” as it awaits the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty early next year.

Tannock also praised recent cross-strait rapprochement and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for his “pragmatic manner” in dealing with Beijing, such as pushing for a Taiwan-China economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).

Describing a meeting with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Tannock said the delegation did not fully share the pan-green camp’s anxiety that an ECFA would “lock Taiwan exclusively into an asymmetric … relation with China.”

“If that were the case, I would be the first say that’s not appropriate and dangerous to Taiwanese independence and sovereignty,” Tannock said.

What would cause his group to worry about cross-strait relations would be “anything that results in the re-emergence of tension.”

“We don’t have a problem with Taiwan declaring independence, but we do have a problem [as] China has threatened a war over it and what it would mean in terms of escalation and perhaps even globally … We all want to see a detente, a thawing [of what] was a very tense situation two years ago,” he said.

Tannock also said that despite China’s expanding economic muscle, the EU is unlikely to lift its 20-year arms embargo against Beijing because of China’s human rights issues.

The embargo reflects the 27-nation bloc’s commitment to the security of both Taiwan and Japan, he said.

Tannock, however, encouraged a gradual development of various versions of confidence building measures or “some forms of communications” between the military on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to decrease the chance of a misunderstanding or an incident.

KMT councilor irate over hybrid buses from China
A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilor yesterday accused the Taipei City Government of subsidizing local bus companies to purchase hybrid buses from China.

Taipei City’s Department of Transportation subsidized Capital Bus Co’s purchase of 60 hybrid buses from China for use during the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hao (王浩) said.

The department also spent more than NT$200 million (US$6.2 million) to subsidize the purchase of 265 low-floor buses last year. Some parts of 131 of these buses were made by a factory in China, Wang said.

“The 60 hybrid buses were to be used during the Beijing Olympics, but China sold the buses to Taipei for use in the flora expo instead. In other words, the city government will use products that were made in China to promote an international event organized by Taipei,” he said in a question-and-answer session at Taipei City Hall.

In addition, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) contracted the construction of platform doors at several stations on the city’s MRT Red Line and Blue Line to a local company, which won the bid with an “extremely low price” of NT$145 million.

Wang said the company was able to bring down its price by subcontracting the project to a company in China.

“Even if the use of Chinese products is not illegal, the city officials should have known better. Chinese companies should not be involved in public construction projects in the country’s capital city,” he said.

In response, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city government would not import any Chinese products banned by the government.

The 131 low-floor buses were assembled in Taiwan in accordance with current regulations, he said.

As for the 60 hybrid buses, Department of Transportation Commissioner Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢) said the department would rescind the subsidy if the buses had indeed been purchased from China.

TRTC president Tsai Huei-sheng (蔡輝昇) said there was nothing in the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ regulations that prohibited the import of platform doors from China.

The company reported the situation to the ministry for further clarification, and will demand that the contractor refrain from using products banned by the government, Tsai said.

Japan clarifies warning to Taiwan ship in disputed waters


Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The Interchange Association (ICA), Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan, explained Saturday that Japanese authorities did not attempt to drive away a Taiwanese research vessel from the disputed waters close to the Tiaoyutai islands, but rather issued a warning to the ship.

The ICA described as incorrect a news report on Nov. 5 that stated the "Fishery Researcher I, " operated by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, was asked to leave the Tiaoyutai area.

On Nov. 5, a Japanese government aircraft merely issued a verbal warning to the vessel, but did not demand that it leave "Japan's exclusive economic maritime area" or attempt to chase it away, the ICA said in a statement.

As soon the ship was spotted sailing in a northeasterly direction, the personnel aboard the plane warned that "under international law, it is illegal to conduct marine science studies in Japan's exclusive economic maritime zone without Japan's consent, " the statement said.

Taiwan, China and Japan all claim sovereignty over the uninhabited Tiaoyutai Islands, which lie in the East China Sea about 200 kilometers northeast of Taiwan and 300 kilometers west of Japan's Okinawa. In Japan, the islands are called Senkakus.

On Thursday, Charles Chen, secretary-general of Taiwan's Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR), the ICA's Taiwan counterpart, said that Taiwan is not obliged to inform Japan in advance of its research activities in Tiaoyutai waters, which he said overlap the economic marine territories of Taiwan and Japan.

Chen made the remarks in response to a Japanese media report that the Taiwanese research boat was warned and driven away from the disputed area.

(By Sinyao Shih & Elizabeth Hsu

Risk of conflict in Taiwan Strait reduced: US admiral
The US’ top military officer, Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday that tensions between China and Taiwan had “gone down” in recent months and that he believed the danger of armed conflict had been reduced.

Asked at a Washington conference on military leadership if China was still focused on intimidating Taiwan, he replied: “What I’ve seen with the election of a new government in Taiwan is that there is a more stable relationship between Taipei and Beijing.”

“In that regard, it seems to be moving in the right direction. We are still very clear on our one China policy in that what we want to see is a peaceful resolution between Taiwan and China over time,” he said.

Mullen said that the US had obligations to support Taiwan, that the US had fulfilled those obligations in the past and that “we will continue to do so.”

But turning to the longer term future he said that while “most of all” Washington wanted to see the China-Taiwan situation resolved peacefully

“When we think about conflict in that part of the world, that’s often very much on people’s minds,” he said.

The admiral stressed that the US-China military-to-military relationship — only recently restored after a long break triggered by US weapons sales to Taiwan — was of great importance.

He said that China was developing military technologies “very focused” on US capabilities, particularly aircraft carriers.

In addition, Mullen said, Beijing was building ballistic missiles, space and anti-satellite weapons “and they are heavily engaged in the cyber world and it’s a concern.”

“So, that issue is certainly one that we consistently address ... I’m just hopeful that we can have enough of a relationship with their military leaders to be able to talk with them about these challenges and address them and listen and also listen to their concerns,” Mullen said.

“On the one hand, they’re a growing country and certainly they have growing global requirements, even growing regional requirements,” he said. “I’m hoping that we can have enough of a relationship with them that we can avoid any serious conflict in the future. It’s a very stable region, generally speaking.”

Airport firm budget gets green light
The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday approved the budget for the International Airport Co, which is scheduled to be established before November next year.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said the ministry was entrusting a consulting firm with drafting the master plan for the company, which it aims to complete by May.

“We hope that the airport company will help increase the number of passengers using the nation’s airports,” Mao said. “Currently, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport has an average of 22 million passengers per year. We are laying out three potential levels for the airport in the future: 50 million, 40 million and 30 million passengers. We haven’t determined which level we will adopt.”

He said the ministry was also planning to construct a third terminal and runway at the airport.

Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director-General Lee Lung-wen (李龍文) said the three levels Mao spoke about ­referred to the airport’s maximum passenger capacity, not the goals the CAA had set for passenger volume each year.

Lee said the CAA and the consulting firm were still evaluating which level would be a more practical choice.

“When you have this kind of project, you also have to plan for the development for the next 15 to 20 years,” Lee said.

Lawmakers on the committee, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) and Tsai Chi-long (蔡錦隆) as well as Democratic Progressive Party legislators Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) and Kuo Wen-cheng (郭玟成), questioned Mao about the benefits the establishment of the International Airport Co was expected to bring.

Kuo also asked Mao about the competitiveness of the Taoyuan airport, since many manufacturers have moved to China, while a number of airlines prefer to transfer flights in either Hong Kong or Singapore.

In response, Mao said that raising passenger volumes at Taoyuan airport was indeed a “great challenge.”

“In the past eight years, we have not invested many resources in the development of airports and seaports. Now we have to catch up,” the minister said.

Mao said the ministry hoped to turn Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into a hub for Northeast and Southeast Asia.

Kaohsiung agrees to merge agencies at council’s request
The Kaohsiung City Government plans to merge its Information Office and Military Service Office with other city government agencies to help its fiscal budget clear the city council as soon as possible, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said yesterday.

Chen said during question-and-answer sessions with Kaohsiung City councilors that she had made the “painful” decision to show the city government’s respect for the council.

The city council on Oct. 22 rejected the city government’s budget request because the it had submitted separate budgets for the two offices for the next fiscal year instead of following a resolution reached by the council last year to have the offices dissolved or merged with other city agencies by next June.

The city government had submitted a NT$80 billion (US$2.46 billion) budget, in which a total of NT$300 million was earmarked for the two offices.

In response, Chen convened a provisional administrative meeting on Wednesday at which a draft proposal was approved to merge the Information Office with the Tourism Bureau and to merge the Military Service Office with the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The mergers would take effect on July 1 if the council passes the draft proposal.

Chen yesterday praised the two offices’ performance, saying that the military office had served retired military personnel and their families very well, while the information office had done a good job in promoting the city.

“The council’s request to have the two offices dissolved or merged with other agencies is beyond the comprehension of everyone in the nation,” Chen said.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councilor Lee Chiao-ju (李喬如) said he wondered whether the council’s move resulted from the city government’s decision to screen a documentary about exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer in September.

President pushes for increased regional representation for Taiwan


Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou called Thursday for efforts to increase Taiwan's visibility and representation in the Asia-Pacific region to avoid the country being further marginalized.

Ma said Asia has seen its economic momentum making gains over the past several months, with the regional economic landscape changing dramatically.

Noting that India has recently signed free trade agreements with South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the president said that "we, the Republic of China, cannot afford to be left too far behind or we will fail to catch up."

Ma made the remarks during a brief meeting at the Presidential Office with the Taiwanese delegation to the leadership summit of the 2009 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, to be led by ruling Kuomintang Honorary Chairman Lien Chan.

The forum is slated to be held Nov. 12-14 in Singapore, with the theme of sustainable growth and connecting the region.

In keeping with past practice, Ma announced Lien as his proxy to attend the summit only after the Presidential Office had formally notified Singapore of the selection.

This will be the second consecutive year that Lien has represented Ma at the summit. He attended last year's summit in Peru, making him the highest-ranking former official from Taiwan to attend an APEC forum.

"Chairman Lien gave an exceptionally commendable performance during the last APEC summit and I believe he will continue this time to demonstrate Taiwan's prowess and its determination to raise its international status," Ma said.

He noted that after a year of strenuous effort since 2008, Taiwan succeeded earlier this year in attending the World Health Assembly -- the decision-making body of the World Health Organization -- as an observer.

He exhorted Lien and his delegation to continue pushing beyond the boundaries to allow Taiwan access to other major world organizations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

He predicted that Lien's attendance at the 2009 APEC summit will further enhance relations between Taiwan and Singapore, with which Taiwan has traditionally maintained cordial and close ties despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations.

For his part, Lien, who served as vice president from 1996-2000, said that with the great expectations that Ma and the country have for him, he is taking up his mission to Singapore with extreme caution and devotion.

He said he and his team will try to make sure that Taiwan's voice is heard, particularly on recent issues such as the implications of the global economic meltdown, climate change, energy concerns and food shortages.

Taiwan gained full APEC membership in 1991, making it one of the few major international organizations the country has been allowed to join. It is an important platform for the country's engagement in economic and trade cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. (By Garfie Li and Deborah Kuo)

Japanese have better image of Pres. Ma: JCCI head Ogura
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) With President Ma Ying-jeou in office for close to a year and a half, businesspeople in Japan no longer cling to his long-time image as an anti-Japanese Tioyutai warrior, convinced Taiwan is their best partner to develop the huge potential market in China.

As a Harvard law school student, Ma took an active part in an anti-Japanese movement to defend Taiwan's sovereignty over the Tiaoyutai Islands, contested by Japan. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the eight uninhabited isles, known as the Senkakus in Japanese.

Ma's stereotyped image lingered until after he was elected president last year.

"That image is being changed," says Kazuhira Ogura, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taipei.

Few businesspeople now consider Ma an anti-Japanese activist, Ogura points out. Ma's pro-Japan policy, he adds, has helped make the change of his image for the better. The burgeoning detente between Taiwan and China has also helped.

"So much so that Japanese are now coming to know Taiwan under Ma's leadership will be of help to their business ventures in China," says Ogura, chairman of the Mitsubishi Corporation in Taiwan.

Medium-sized and small businesses, in particular, are eager to have partners in Taiwan for joint ventures in China, Ogura opines.

Should they operate alone in China, Ogura goes on, Japanese businesses have only a half-and-half chance of success.

"The chance of success goes up to 70 percent or more if they go to China as joint-venture businesses with Taiwan entrepreneurs," he emphasizes.

Their Taiwan partners know much better to cope with Chinese bureaucracy and are better accustomed to the way businesses are run on the mainland of China. It is easier for joint ventures to sail on an even keel.

That means Taiwan businesses attract more investment from Japan to start joint ventures in China. They need Japanese expertise, too. "It's a mutually complementary operation, beneficial mutually to Taiwan and Japan," says Ogura, who has run the Taipei affiliate of one of the largest Japanese business conglomerate for 15 years.

Ogura never hesitates to advocate the Nippo-Taiwan joint venture business thrust into China. "It's a must, for the benefit of both Japan and Taiwan," he declares.

And the time is right. Taiwan is planning to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China early next year at the latest.

The ECFA, which Ogura's JCCI, along with the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, has urged the Ma administration to conclude as soon as practicable, will further boost Japanese investment for joint ventures in China with Taiwan partners. Without the ECFA, whose conclusion the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei also called for, Taiwan will have difficulty surviving the onslaught of the economic globalization.

Founded in 1971, the JCCI is instrumental in promoting economic relations between Taiwan and Japan. Altogether 420 Japanese business firms operating in Taiwan are its members. They include multinational giants as well as medium-sized and small businesses. On October 23, the JCCI issued a white paper calling for action on the part of the Taipei government to improve economic relations between Taiwan and Japan. The ECFA is at the top of its list of recommendations.

To those recommendations for improvement, the JCCI head adds a call for a better communication channel between Taiwan and Japan.

Mass media, Ogura regrets, have failed to provide sufficient information on Taiwan for the businesspeople in Japan. "Those of us who are here have all the news we need, but the vast majority of people in Japan simply do not know how Taiwan can be of use to them in getting more and better business done for the good of both, " he says.

Moreover, Ogura adds, more news from Taiwan will promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries. "The Japanese people have to know Taiwan is the best friend Japan has, and they need to be told of what's going on here every day," he concludes. (By Joe Hong)

Taiwan PM says he will quit if allegations of illegal dealings true
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih said Friday that he will resign if the former opposition legislator who accused him of having illegal dealings with a convicted gangster can come up with the proof.

Wu said that he will sue the former lawmaker if he cannot prove true and does not retract his remarks and apologize..

The premier challenged Lee Wen-chung, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominee for the Nantou County magistrate's office in the year- end local elections, to provide evidence to substantiate his allegation that Wu, when he served as a legislator representing Nantou County, had illegal dealings with a former felon during their trip to Bali, Indonesia, late last year.

"If Lee fails to do so in three days, I will file lawsuits against him for slander," the premier said in a press conference.

Lee told reporters Wednesday that, Premier Wu, incumbent Nantou Magistrate Lee Chao-ching, and Chiang Chin-liang, who had served a prison sentence for murder, extortion and arms smuggling, were touring Bali together to settle the gravel business interests of Nantou and contemplate the candidates for the offices of county council speaker and deputy speaker.

The gravel industry has been a lucrative business in Taiwan, and many of the operators in the business are believed to have connection s with local mafia groups.



Chiang, now chairman of the Tsaoyetun Night Market Association in Tsaotun Township, was convicted of murder for slaying a Changhua gangster and a Nantou County council member in 1983 and 1985 respectively. He fled from prison in 1989 during a hospital visit and was recaptured a year later, according to DPP lawmaker Chen Ting-hui.

Chen said that Chiang's rap sheet included more than 30 counts of illegal arms sales, extortion, assault and robbery. He was released from jail on parole in 2000.

Wu said that he first met Chiang in 2003 or 2004 when Chiang was already chairman of the night market association, but "he kept some distance from Chiang" at the time because DPP members were serving as both chiefs of Nantou County and Tsaotun Township.

Wu said he had "a little bit" more contact with Chiang after Lee Chao-ching, a Kuomintang member, became Nantou County chief in late 2005. Lee is now seeking reelection.

"I visited the night markets two or three times to solicit votes when I was campaigning in the 2008 legislative election, and was grateful for Chiang's support," Wu said.

Regarding his trip to Bali, Wu said that he was on a fact-finding tour to check out sightseeing facilities on the island with about 10 other people at the invitation of one of his friend in Nantou, and he paid for his own travel costs.

Wu insisted there was nothing wrong with going on a trip with a convicted criminal who had served his time in prison. "We should give encouragement to those who had committed crimes but are able to begin new lives," he added.

Wu said he has been very consistent in integrity and has never committed any illegal activities since he chose to be in the political arena, and would not allow his image to be maligned.

Wu stressed that during their telephone conversations the previous evening, President Ma Ying-jeou agreed that Wu should publicly address the controversy "in a frank and quick manner." (By Lee Ming-tsung & Bear Lee) Enditem/cs

'Early harvest' items not yet finalized: MAC
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) yesterday distanced herself from cross-strait negotiations on the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA), saying both sides have yet to finalize “early harvest” items.

Saying the two sides are still in the preparation stage, Lai said that it was too early to talk about the planned accord and that she believed government agencies would conduct careful assessments about the issue.

Regarding market access for financial services, Lai said the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) would make the “appropriate arrangements” in accordance with the financial cooperation agreement the two sides signed in June.

Lai made the remarks in response to questions about a report published by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The paper said government agencies are consistent on whether financial services would be included in the ECFA “early harvest” list.

The report said that while MAC Deputy Minister Kao Charng (高長) said on Tuesday that market access for financial services would not be included on the “early harvest” list, FSC Vice Chairwoman Lee Jih-chu (李紀珠) said it would.

Kao later said, however, that he misspoke and corrected himself, asking the media to refer to Lee’s remarks.

COMPUTERS

In related news, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday downplayed the country being replaced by China as the world’s No. 3 personal computer maker, saying manufacturers move to China to make the products but they still receive orders in Taiwan.

“In terms of notebook computers, 92 percent of them come from Taiwan,” he said. “They are not made in Taiwan, but they are made by Taiwanese.”

Ma made the remarks while meeting Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, Yang Ruey-tzong (楊瑞宗), chief of the Third Directorate of the Executive Yuan, will assume his new job as the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association’s (TSTA) representative in Beijing before the Lunar New Year.

The TSTA will be the country’s first representative office established in China. It is a quasi-official organization representing the nation in negotiations on cross-strait tourism affairs. Its counterpart in China is the Cross Strait Tourism Association.

Yang’s first and primary task would be to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan. He will also communicate with China on cross-strait tourism issues.

TOURISM

Lai yesterday said that Chinese tourists have generated NT$32 billion (US$1 billion) in revenues since July last year and the number has remained stable thanks to continuous examinations and adjustments of the policy via bilateral negotiations. MAC Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) said that although they had repeatedly asked Beijing to allow Chinese visitors to go on individual tours here, they had not received a positive response.

While outlying islands such as Kinmen and Matsu have expressed interest in establishing representative offices in China, Liu raised the question of their status, saying that the official title for Kinmen is Kinmen County, Fujian Province, the Republic of China.

DPP chairperson calls for solidarity ahead of elections
Next month's local government elections are a prime opportunity for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to strengthen its relations with the grassroots and for the electorate to express its anger against an incompetent government, party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday one month before the ballot.

“The DPP must return to local government and prove to the people the quality of pan-green leadership. We must let people know the DPP is a competent and compassionate party. We not only help the marginalized, we are also effective at stimulating the domestic economy and the job market,” Tsai said.

Tsai made the comments at a press conference alongside former premiers Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), who called for party unity in the battle against the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

Yu asked party members to engage in an “aggressive fight” against “the evil practice of vote-buying” — a tactic the KMT often uses as a last-ditch effort to woo votes, he said.

Hsieh said that since President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) main objective is a second term, he would have no choice but to abide by public opinion, citing the KMT's recent concession to a proposed amendment on food sanitation, particularly on the controversial issue of US beef imports.

“Ma will heed the public will only if it affects his popularity. This is why each vote is important. Through our ballots, we can send a clear message to the Ma administration that we are fed up with its policies,” he said.

Hsieh said several large-scale street protests had been held since Ma came to office. Each protest was expensive and time­-­consuming, he said, suggesting that if the KMT loses by a landslide, perhaps it would not be necessary to have so many demonstrations in the future.

Dubbing the elections as Ma's “mid-term” examination, Su urged voters to give the KMT a failing grade by voting green.

Yu said the DPP must set its eyes on a higher goal and aim for a minimum of eight of the 15 seats available. Hsieh, however, said he would be content if the party could bag seven.

Tsai declined to set a target except to say the party would go full force in each battle.

Committee concerned about wiretapping
A legislative committee yesterday froze part of the National Security Bureau’s (NSB) budget over concerns that security agencies are conducting illegal phone tapping.

Members of the Foreign and National Defense Committee decided to temporarily freeze NT$500 million (US$15.4 million) of the bureau’s NT$4.5 billion budget to prevent the bureau engaging in potentially illegal phone tapping and surveillance.

The legislators were concerned after reports in September suggested illegal surveillance had become rampant since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office, despite his campaign promise to crack down on it. The Presidential Office later denied the reports.

The budget will be reviewed again after legislators visit the NSB’s headquarters and its facilities sometime near the end of this month.

“We want to make sure that the money will not be spent on illegal surveillance,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said.

Approximately NT$3.6 billion of the bureau’s budget was to be set aside for confidential projects, details of which were not listed in the proposal for lawmakers to review.

The “secret budget” worried KMT and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers alike, who asked the bureau to disclose more details of its budget.

“We don’t feel comfortable about it, as nobody can assure us that no illegal or unreasonable projects are being undertaken,” DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said.

Meanwhile, NSB Director-­General Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) told the committee that the Chinese military had begun work on a new type of aircraft carrier, but “the process has been bumpy.”

Tsai said it was the Chinese military’s goal to commission its first aircraft carrier by 2012.

“According to our estimates it will be difficult for them to achieve that goal,” Tsai said.

Quoting a briefing by Tsai on March 22, KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) asked whether China’s military was sticking to its plan.

Tsai said the Chinese military had never changed its goal, but the NSB’s latest intelligence showed that maintaining the planned timeline would be difficult.

“It is not only our estimate. Chinese military officials also feel the same way,” Tsai said.

Law amendments should not violate WTO rules, premier cautions


Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Premier Wu den-yih said Wednesday that law amendments must not violate the regulations of the World Trade Organization or contradict the content of the US-Taiwan beef protocol, referring to a proposal by some legislators to revise the country's food sanitation law to forbid imports of risky beef products.

The premier called on the legislative caucuses of the ruling Kuomintang and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party to coordinate with the administration on good solutions to allay the fears of some consumers over the relaxation of beef import restrictions.

As a matter of fact, he noted, the government has proposed stricter measures to monitor the three main links in the beef supply chain, namely original U.S. beef suppliers, customs entries, and marketing channels. The administration has also suggested five administrative steps to check on imported beef products, he added.

The inspection of imported ground beef and offal will be the most stringent measure imposed by the government, according to the premier.

As to the question of a referendum for the citizens to decide on the beef issue, Premier Wu again rebuffed the idea by some civic groups, saying that there is no need for such a referendum. "No one should decide whether or not other people should eat beef -- that is a personal decision," he said.

Also on Wednesday, the Presidential Office expressed the view that as long as there is no violation of international obligations or the content of the U.S.-Taiwan beef protocol, the Presidential Office will honor the right of the Legislative Yuan to seek an amendment to the food sanitation law.

(By Chiachen Hsieh, Shu-hua Lee and Lillian Lin)

Enditem/ pc

ECFA expected to help maintain cross-strait trade order: president
Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou once again touted Thursday the need to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, saying such a pact will help maintain trade across the Taiwan Strait in a systematic and orderly manner.

"Many countries around the world have been actively negotiating bilateral or multilateral free trade agreements (FTA) , we cannot afford to buck this trend, " Ma said at the opening of a global business conference.

Noting that the proposed ECFA with China is similar to the provisions of FTAs among other countries, Ma said he believes the cross-strait ECFA can help pave the way for Taiwan to participate in international organizations and multilateral economic integration.

Addressing the 400-plus participants in the seventh Global Chinese Business Leader Summit, sponsored by the Taipei-based Global View Monthly, Ma noted that cross-strait commercial exchanges have grown even more robust in the past year.

China used to account for about 24 percent of Taiwan's exports, but the figure has now grown to 40 percent, Ma said, adding that the number of direct cross-strait flights has also increased to 270 per week.

"All these figures indicate the vitality of cross-strait trade, " Ma said.

However, increased economic exchanges require a well-designed framework or system to handle many important issues, such as tariff concessions and investment disputes, in an orderly way, he added.

After signing many critical agreements on direct cross-strait transport links, food safety and judicial assistance in previous rounds of high-level talks, Ma said, the two sides will discuss many other topics, including fishery cooperation, product inspection criteria and avoidance of double taxation, in the upcoming fourth round of talks.

Noting that Taiwan wants to resolve differences or disputes with China through negotiations, Ma said his administration will never compromise on Taiwan's sovereign status in cross-strait engagements.

In the process, his administration will endeavor to bring benefits to the people of Taiwan, he promised.

He said that Taiwan used to be considered a troublemaker because of his predecessor's pursuit of de jure Taiwan independence, but that after less then 20 months in office his administration has succeeded in converting Taiwan's image into that of a peacemaker.

Looking to the future, Ma said he hopes Taiwan will be admitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat following its success in taking part in the World Health Assembly in May this year.

Touching on the six new star industries that his administration has selected for intensive development, Ma said the green energy industry will definitely play a leading role in cross-strait industrial cooperation in the future.

"Although Taiwan is small, it is full of ingenuity and vitality. We are convinced that we will be able to emerge as a key player in the clean energy field," Ma said.

Stressing that his administration has learned much from the global financial crisis and the flap in the wake of Typhoon Morakot in August, Ma said he is cautiously optimistic that Taiwan will be able to achieve an economic growth rate of between 3 percent and 4 percent next year as predicted by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. (By Pn Shu-ting and Sofia Wu)

Canada considers Taiwan a bridge to Asia
Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) Canada considers Taiwan a bridge to reach the rest of Asia, according to its new representative in Taipei.

Of late, Taiwan has undergone great change, says Scott Fraser, who came back as executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei after an absence of eight years.

"This change, and the potential for even closer economic relations between Taiwan and China will allow Taiwan to position itself as a bridge to the rest of Asia," Fraser points out.

For one thing, the city of Taipei has been greatly modernized over the past eight years, Canada's top diplomat in Taiwan says. There are so many new buildings and an expanded mass rapid transit system.

When the Frasers left Taiwan in 2001, Taipei 101 was a mere " Taipei 50."

The changes in relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have also been impressive. Direct flights to the mainland of China were only a dream when the Frasers were last in Taipei.

"And this is where I see the potential for an even larger and more important relationship between Canada and Taiwan," Fraser stresses. "Canadian companies are seeking to enhance their commercial relationships with Asia, and Taiwan may be the perfect platform from which to achieve this," he adds.

That means the commercial relationship between Canada and Taiwan will become increasingly complex. "It will include exports and imports," Fraser goes on, "but, to develop a truly mutually beneficial relationship, it also needs to include investment, investment in both directions as well as joint collaboration on research and development leading to innovation and new products."

The people of Taiwan know full well their prosperity depends on their ability to compete internationally. Taiwan also remains one of the leaders in the development of leading edge technologies.

Fraser notes six sectors of the economy where Taiwan plans to concentrate in the years ahead to increase its international competitiveness.

They are biotechnology, tourism, green energy, medical care, new agriculture, and creative cultural industries.

Efforts in the six sectors will enable Taiwan to chalk up at least NT$1.35 trillion in sales in four years and create more than 700,000 new jobs.

Many of these sectors are complementary to Canadian expertise, Fraser continues. "It will be our job to find those specific areas for collaboration, inform Canadian companies about these areas, and let you know where Canadian expertise lies," he declares.

The Frasers have fond memories of their previous stay in Taiwan. "We are both very pleased to be back in Taiwan," he says on behalf of his wife Carol-Ann.

"We always felt very 'at home' when we lived here before," Fraser says. "The welcome that we have received since our arrival a month and a half ago makes us pleased that we decided to come back to Taiwan," he admits.

Before he came to Taipei, Fraser was Canadian ambassador to Finland. " I decided to leave Finland early when this job (in Taipei) became available," he says. I know that we made the right decision." (By Joe Hong)

Taiwan has U.S. assurance over age of beef products: official
Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) Taiwan has obtained "double assurance" from the U.S. government that all American beef products exported to Taiwan will be from cattle aged younger than 30 months, although the assurances are not included in a recent Taiwan-U.S. protocol, National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi said Thursday.

Su told legislators that the assurances came in the form of two letters that were signed by officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of United States Trade Representative and addressed respectively to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Department of Health (DOH).

Su described the letters as legally binding internationally.

According to Su, Taiwan has adopted criteria similar to those of South Korea in opening its market wider to U.S. beef products, and "chances are very slim" that the U.S. will agree to negotiate new terms.

He admitted that there was insufficient communication within the government during the policy-making process, and he apologized to the public for the panic caused.

There have been fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) , or mad cow disease, entering Taiwan since the government recently signed the protocol with the United States to further liberalize its market to U.S. beef, allowing in items such as bone-in beef, ground beef, intestines and processed beef considered at risk of spreading the disease.



Before this, Taiwan only allowed imports of U.S. boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months. BSE is very rarely found in cattle in this age group.

While officially lifting the ban on the products Nov. 2, the DOH, however, adopted other measures that will effectively bar the entry of some of those products.

The Legislative Yuan, meanwhile, is planning to amend the Act Governing Food Sanitation to forbid the import of risky beef products.

Lu Hsueh-chang, a whip of the ruling Kuomintang's legislative caucus, said Thursday that the proposed legislation will either list the banned items directly or empower the administrative branch to dictate by executive order those parts of cattle for which entry will be forbidden.

In pushing for the amendment, the legislature will make sure that it does not contravene the terms of the protocol with the United States or the guidelines of the World Trade Organization, Lu said.

Executive Yuan spokesman Su Jun-pin reiterated that the Cabinet will respect the legislature's plan as long as it is helpful to the enforcement of the government's measures to block the imports of controversial beef products and does not violate the protocol terms or the WTO rules. (By Garfie Li, Justin Su and Y.F. Low)

SEF-ARATS officials meet ahead of formal negotiations


Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) The deputy heads of the negotiating bodies of Taiwan and China met in the eastern Taiwan county of Yilan Tuesday for talks in prepartion of negotiations in December between the two countries.

Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman of the Taipei- based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and Zheng Lizhong, vice president of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, (ARATS), examined the content of the four agreements to be signed at a fourth round of SEF-ARATS talks scheduled to take place in Taichung, central Taiwan, in December, SEF spokesman Ma Shao-chang said.

The four agreements to be signed will cover cooperation on fishing crew members, agricultural quarantine inspection, industrial product standards, inspection and certification, and the avoidance of double taxation.

Ma said, however, that Kao and Zheng did not enter into "substantial discussions " on the proposed cross-strait economic cooperation and framework agreement (ECFA) , although they agreed to make the ECFA a "dialogue issue" for the December negotiations between SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung and ARATS President Chen Yunlin.

Chiang confirmed at a Taipei forum late in the day that the ECFA issue will not be on the official agenda of his coming talks with Chen.

But he said it is possible that he and Chen would discuss the issue informally, in preparation for formal negotiations on the trade deal at their fifth round of talks in the first quarter of next year.

The highly controversial proposed trade deal was back in the news recently after China asked to postpone a scheduled dialogue in Beijing on the issue.

The meeting, scheduled to take place between Huang Chih-peng, director general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Tang Wei, director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Department under China's Ministry of Commerce, on Nov. 3-4, was postponed at Beijing's request, which cited "time constraints in preparing for the dialogue."

Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Kao Charng said the meeting had been postponed rather than canceled, and that both Taipei and Beijing still planned to move forward on the issue.

In Beijing, Yang Yi, the spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China's State Council, told Taiwanese reporters that dialogue on the ECFA issue would be resumed at a later time, without elaborating. (By Liu Cheng-ching, Huang Chi-kuang & Bear Lee)

Control Yuan impeaches former Chen Shui-bian staffers
The Control Yuan yesterday impeached five former officials from former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) Presidential Office staff for their handling of his alleged misuse of the state affairs fund.

Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), were sentenced to life imprisonment in September after being found guilty of corruption and embezzlement.

Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) said that things would not have happened the way they did if the five officials had stuck to their duties of advising the former president on how to use the discretionary fund and tightly regulating the practice of seeking reimbursement on expenses.

The five are former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), former Presidential Office director Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓), the former first family’s bookkeeper Chen Chen-hui (陳鎮慧), former director-general of the Presidential Office accounting department Fon Shui-lin (馮瑞麟) and former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).

Admitting to using false receipts to claim money from the special fund, Chen Shui-bian insisted the money was spent on “secret diplomatic missions” — not for personal expenses.

“As important members of the presidential staff, what they did in helping the former first couple pocket public funds was tantamount to helping the wicked perpetrate wicked deeds,” Wang said.

Ma and Lin have been found guilty by the Taipei District Court of helping the former first couple embezzle money from public funds and were sentenced to 20 years and 16 years in prison respectively, and stripped of their civil rights for 10 years and eight years respectively.

Chen Chen-hui, who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the first trial, admitted guilt to charges including forgery, perjury, embezzlement and money laundering.

“Chen Shui-bian and Wu Shu-jen were not able to disrupt the system alone. It was because there was a group of civil servants who allowed themselves to be sidetracked by their superiors to disregard their responsibilities to the country and the government,” Wang said.

Control Yuan member Ma Hsiu-ru (馬秀如) said she hoped the impeachment would help restore discipline among civil servants working in the government’s accounting system.

“Since public funds are the hard-won possessions of the people, civil servants should realize that they are accountable to the public, not just to their boss,” she said.

Non-partisan lawyer assumes CEC chairmanship
Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Non-partisan lawyer Lai Hau-min became the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Wednesday, vowing to stamp out vote-buying in Taiwan's elections.

Lai, who has no political affiliation and has been a CEC commissioner for 21 years, took over the CEC chairmanship from his predecessor Chang Cheng-hsiung.

He will be the first person to lead the CEC since it gained a legal basis on July 1 when an organic law on its operations took effect. Lai expressed the hope that the legalized CEC would become an independent, just and impartial organization resistant to political interference.

He pledged to do his best to get rid of vote-buying and other kinds of irregularities in Taiwan's elections to ensure the sound development of the country's democracy.

Prior to passage of the CEC Organic Act, the commission existed on the basis of an administrative decree and was under the control of the executive branch, which some argued undermined its legitimacy.

Under the new law, the premier is authorized to nominate the commission's chairman, vice chairman and seven to nine commissioners, who all must then be confirmed by the legislature.

The Legislative Yuan on Tuesday approved the nomination of Lai made by then Premier-designate Wu Den-yih to chair the CEC in early September. (By Flor Wang)

Single-parent families might get additional tax deduction
Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Single-parent families will enjoy additional income tax reductions of up to NT$115,500 (US$3,586.96) per household if a proposed revision to the Income Tax Law clears the legislative floor, lawmakers said Wednesday.

The proposal was initiated by ruling Kuomintang Legislator Kuo Su-chun, who said single-parent families deserve more income tax deductions because during an economic downturn they are more vulnerable than dual-parent families and more likely to fall below the poverty line.

Her proposal received the endorsement of 24 other legislators from across party lines.

Citing government statistics, Kuo said 5.51 percent of single-parent families fall below the poverty line as defined by the government, compared to 1.97 percent among dual-parent families.

The Ministry of the Interior defines the low-income population as people whose monthly incomes fall below the minimum cost of living standard set by the government.

The minimum cost of living currently stands at NT$9,829 in all cities and counties except Taipei City and County, Kaohsiung City, Kinmen and Matsu.

In Taipei City it is NT$14,558, in Taipei County NT$10,792, in Kaohsiung City 11,309, and in Kinmen and Matsu NT$7,400.

According to MOI statistics, the low-income population rose to 241,237 persons in the second quarter of the year, an increase of more than 17,300 from the previous quarter. This means that it was 1.29 percent of the total population, the highest in recorded history, MOI said. (By Kelven Huang and Sofia Wu)

Kuang registers for Taitung race
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday threatened to take the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to court if it nominates Taitung County Commissioner Kuang Li-cheng (鄺麗貞) for a legislative by-election next year, saying she may have made a “backroom deal” to run in the race.

Kuang registered for the Taitung legislative by-election yesterday amid claims by the DPP that it was a trade-off for her promise not to seek re-election.

KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po (詹春柏) said Kuang would still need to go through a primary to become the party’s nominee even if she is the only candidate to register. Her approval rating must exceed 30 percent to win the nomination, he said.

Yesterday, Kuang and another KMT member, Chen Yun-ping (陳允萍), picked up registration forms for the by-election. However, Chen was apparently ineligible to register because she resumed her party membership less than four months ago, prompting speculation that her interest in the position is just show.

“It was an obvious orchestrated trade-off — asking someone who is ineligible to run to pick up a form. Since Chen is ineligible, Kuang will be the sole candidate,” DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said, accusing the KMT of violating Article 97 of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選罷法), which states that candidates or likely candidates found guilty of withdrawing from a race because of bribery or other illegal factors face a three to 10-year jail term.

“We are watching to see whether the KMT will nominate her,” DPP Spokesman Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told a press conference.

DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) urged the Taitung Prosecutors’ Office to investigate whether a deal was struck between the KMT, Kuang and KMT Legislator Justin Huang (黃健庭).

Kuang made headlines in July last year when she came under fire for being on a trip to Europe when a typhoon hit her county. The criticism intensified as details emerged of the trip and other trips she took with government funding.

The 46-year-old made the news again recently when she dropped her re-election bid, making way for Huang to run for the post and making a by-election necessary to fill his seat in the legislature. Huang resigned as legislator last month.

The KMT has rebutted speculation of a deal, but KMT caucus secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) called the timing of Kuang’s registration in the race “strange.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG AND KO SHU-LING

Lawmakers grill NCC chairwoman
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee yesterday criticized the National Communications Commission (NCC) for using “double standards” when handling product placement in TV programs.

The committee was scheduled to review the NCC’s budget for the next fiscal year yesterday but its chairwoman came in for a grilling on several issues.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chu Fong-chi (朱鳳芝) asked why the commission did not take immediate action against channels that allow politicians to appear as guests in prime time TV series or air illegal skin-care product commercials, while fining Sisy Chen (陳文茜) NT$600,000 for introducing a special feast at a Taichung hotel in one of her programs.

Commission Chairwoman Bonnie Peng (彭芸) said that the decision to fine Chen was made by an independent content review committee. Fifteen members attended the meeting that delivered the ruling, and 14 of them voted for the penalty, Peng said, adding that she could not issue a ruling single-handedly.

“I think these committee members have no clue on what is going on in the world nowadays,” Chu said. “They think they know better than we do.”

Chu highlighted a recent episode of Formosa TV’s (民視) prime- time series Mom’s House (娘家), which had former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) as a guest.

Kao said in her online journal that she is planning to run for a seat on the Taipei City Council.

Chu said Kao was supposed to portray a nameless volunteer working in a temple on the show, but she repeatedly introduced herself by saying “I am Kao Chia-yu.”

Peng said the commission received many complaints about the episode and was reviewing the case.

She reiterated that the commission would ask TV channels to stop broadcasting commercials featuring skin care products introduced by singer Pai Ping-ping (白冰冰) within a week.

The commission had fined the commercial producer 19 times for exceeding the ad time stated in its application. This time, however, the commission has received an official response from the Department of Health, which said that the products did not have an approval number issued by the department.

Lawmakers were also dissatisfied with the way the commission set mobile phone rates and an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) service charge.

A report from the legislature’s budget center last week showed that although the NCC had asked telecom operators to reduce the monthly charges for mobile phones and ADSL service, rates in Taiwan are still higher than those in neighboring countries.

Peng told lawmakers that the commission has been reducing the monthly charges for both services each year since 2007. The commission will announce a new rate schedule by April, she said.

Former VP forced to cancel Egypt trip on Chinese pressure: DPP
Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Tuesday that former Vice President Annette Lu was forced to cancel her trip to Egypt last week due to Chinese pressure, after having received a visa issued by the Middle Eastern country.

Lu was scheduled to attend the 56th congress of Liberal International in Cairo, Egypt on Oct. 30 and 31, but because of China's intervention, Lu was forced to cancel her trip, the DPP said in a statement.

It was the first time Lu had not been allowed to visit a foreign country since leaving office in May 2008.

The DPP said the Chinese move proved that Beijing would never stop squeezing Taiwan's international space. It also criticized President Ma Ying-jeou's "diplomatic truce" and his government's passive stance on helping Lu and trying to gain more international exposure for Taiwan.

The DPP said Lu was scheduled to transit in Bangkok and then head to Cairo on Oct. 27. But she was told by Egypt that she would not be allowed to enter the country.

The DPP said China's government pressured the Thai and Egyptian governments to reject Lu's visit, as they said top Chinese officials would soon visit those countries.

(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Fanny Liu)

GIO will not interfere with media plan to interview Chinese leaders
Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) The Government Information Office (GIO) will not interfere with local news media's plans to interview top Chinese leaders so long as they maintain their professional independence and Taiwan's national dignity, an official said Monday.

"The GIO has been consistent in refraining from meddling in day-to-day media operations or their specific operational plans so long as they follow the principles of professional independence and uphold our national dignity," said GIO Minister Su Jun-pin.

Fielding questions at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee, Su said the GIO conventionally does not interfere with local media's plans to interview international figures or celebrities, regardless of whether the media in question is a fully privately owned organization or a public body that receives funding from the national coffers.

During the session, opposition Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei asked Su about the propriety of a Radio Taiwan International (RTI) plan to interview China's senior party and government leaders.

According to the RTI's 2010 agenda and budget plan, the station plans to interview a number of senior Chinese leaders in the coming year to provide first-hand information about China's policy toward Taiwan.

"Why should the GIO donate more than NT$400 million (US$12.28 million) in funds to RTI annually for it to fawn on or curry favor with China?" Chen asked.

In response, Su said that China's state-run Xinhua news agency has filed applications with the GIO in the past to exclusively interview President Ma Ying-jeou and other Taiwanese leaders, including the premier.

"However, Ma rejected Xinhua's interview proposal," Su said.

In arranging for international news media to interview the nation's top leaders, Su went on, the GIO has to factor in practical national needs and timing.

He noted for example that the GIO tends to arrange for American, Japanese and other foreign media to interview Ma or other senior officials before the World Health Organization holds its annual conference in May.

In addition, he noted, as the government is seeking to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) -like accord with China, known as the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) , the GIO is also planning to either have the president or the premier host an international news conference or give interviews to major foreign news media.

Meanwhile, RTI director Wang Tan-ping said the radio station has set aside budget for interviewing Chinese leaders since 2006 when the DPP was in power.

Noting that RTI's audience is composed not only of Chinese citizens but also many foreign nationals, Wang said such interviews will help expand dialogue channels across the Taiwan Strait and simultaneously help foreign audiences better understand the development of cross-strait relations from Taiwan's perspective.

Touching on concern about the possible impact on national security of the government's recent relaxation on Chinese journalists' activities in Taiwan, GIO Minister Su said his office will review the situation when the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) convenes across-agency meeting on relevant issues.

In the past, Chinese journalists were required to report to the GIO when they wanted to cover news in Taiwanese cities other than Taipei. The government removed this restriction recently, allowing Chinese journalists to travel freely around Taiwan for news coverage, as well as increasing from two to five the maximum number of journalists each Chinese media outlet is allowed to post in Taiwan.

According to critics, such liberalization measures might jeopardize national security, but Su said the MAC and national security agencies carefully evaluated the pros and cons before implementing the new rules.

Asked how the government will react if Chinese spies come to Taiwan in the guise of journalists, Su said relevant management mechanisms must be updated to cope with the changing cross-strait situation and the increasingly liberalized regulations on cross-strait engagements.

"We will convey the lawmakers' concerns at MAC-organized interministerial meetings on relevant topics, " Su told the legislature. (By Chou Yung-chieh and Sofia Wu)

Elections, cross-strait talks top police priorities: MOI
Security for the year-end local elections and cross-strait talks in December in Taichung City will be the priorities for the National Police Agency (NPA), Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said yesterday.

“Ensuring year-end local elections run smoothly is a priority for the police force,” Jiang told ­police officials during a meeting on public security at the NPA. “It not only means that officers should work closely with prosecutors and investigators on cracking down on election irregularities, but also means that police agencies must guarantee the personal safety of all candidates.”

Jiang’s remarks came one day after a woman in Changhua County claimed she was ­sexually assaulted and threatened so she would not run for the county councilor seat in the year-end elections.

The woman, who has remained anonymous, said she had planned to run in December but a man surnamed Hung (洪) sexually violated her and took pictures of her naked, threatening to publicize the nude photos if she registered to run for the councilor’s seat in the year-end elections.

She also claimed that Hung told her to buy back the pictures for NT$1 million (US$30,700) if she insisted on running in the election.

Hung denied the accusation, but has been indicted for the threats and violating the Election and Recall Act of Public Servants (公職人員選舉罷免法).

Meanwhile, Jiang also asked the police to make sure that December’s meeting between Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) runs smoothly.

“But [the NPA] also needs to make sure that civil rights and the public’s freedom are respected,” he said.

When Chen visited Taiwan in November last year for talks with Chiang, massive demonstrations followed Chen, leading to serious clashes between demonstrators and police.

Protestors accused the government of violating freedom of expression, as police officers would not allow the display of certain slogans or even the Republic of China flag near Chen.

Chen, Wu families plead for leniency from the High Court
Former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚) yesterday said in court that they hoped the High Court would reduce their prison sentences and fines.

Taiwan High Court yesterday summoned the couple for a pre-trial hearing. The two maintained their stance of confessing to the charges against them in hopes of attaining leniency. The case is currently in its second review.

On Sept. 11, Chen Chih-chung, convicted in the first instance by the Taipei District Court of money laundering, was sentenced to two years and six months, as well as a fine of NT$150 million (US$4.6 million), for helping his parents wire money to overseas bank accounts.

Chen Chih-chung’s wife was sentenced to one year and eight months and fined NT$150 million on money laundering charges.

During the hearing, Chen Chih-chung said although he still pled guilty to the charges, he believed the prison sentence and fines handed down by the Taipei District Court were too heavy.

Chen Chih-chung’s and Huang’s attorney Yeh Ta-hui (葉大慧) spoke on behalf of the couple, saying they were unable to afford the fines, as their overseas funds have been frozen by Swiss authorities. He said he hoped the High Court would consider a lighter sentence for the two since their crimes were committed because of immediate family members.

Some of former first lady Wu Shu-jen’s (吳淑珍) family members who had been involved in the money laundering case also pleaded guilty and asked for more lenient sentences.

Wu’s brother Wu Ching-mao (吳景茂) told the court he hoped the High Court would reduce by half the fines handed down to him and his wife.

Wu Ching-mao and his wife, Chen Chun-ying (陳俊英), who pleaded guilty to helping the former first lady launder money through overseas accounts, were each sentenced to two years in prison, five years’ probation and a fine of NT$3 million.

Cabinet to submit U.S. beef import protocol to legislature


Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) The Executive Yuan on Friday promised to submit the new Taiwan-U.S. beef trade protocol to the Legislative Yuan for reference in a month, ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang has confirmed.

Cabinet Secretary-General Lin Jhong-shen made the promise after reaching a consensus with the KMT legislative caucus, Lu said.

The legislator also expected that the Department of Health (DOH) should brief relevant legislative committees on the issue, because "in compliance with a 2006 legislative resolution, the DOH is required to provide detailed reports about the importation of U.S. beef to the legislature."

The KMT legislative caucus would not rule out the possibility of sending the document for committee review, Lu said.

The new protocol is an administrative accord that would normally take effect after being approved by the Executive Yuan.

Under the Exercise of Powers by Legislative Yuan Law, any administrative order enacted by government agencies is then delivered to the legislature and put up for discussion in a legislative committee meeting.

If more than 15 legislators attending the meeting agree, the administrative order will then be handed to related legislative committees for review, Lu said.

That is not likely in the KMT-controlled legislature, but Lu would not rule out the possibility. He added that if the protocol were sent to related committees, its screening should be completed within three months.

If the deadline expires, the protocol will be considered approved by default, Lu said.

After the Department of Health announced Oct. 23 the relaxation of import restrictions on U.S. beef products, effective from as early as Nov. 2, the KMT legislative caucus has asked the Cabinet to devise measures on quarantine inspection of U.S. beef imports before that date.

Under the announcement, U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef and affal that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials" will be allowed to enter Taiwan, while other cattle parts, such as brains, skulls, eyes, spinal nerve roots from cattle over 30 months of age will remain on the banned list.

The new market-opening decision has since drawn flak from opposition parties, consumer rights activists, lawmakers and even city and county officials.

(By Chou Yung-chieh and Y.L. Kao)

President Ma praises expected EU visa waiver
The European Union is likely to decide before the middle of next year not to require visas from Taiwanese visitors, officials said on Thursday, though they warned that the timing might change.

The measure would save Taiwanese travelers close to NT$3,000 per person, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The ministry said that talks with the European Union were under way. If the discussions went smoothly, Europe could announce a decision sometime between next April and June, though the ministry denied there was a precise timetable.

The opening would affect travel by Taiwanese citizens to a total of 25 European countries, officials said.

Vice Foreign Minister Shen Lu-hsun warned against being overly optimistic since internal developments in the European Union might push back the decision on Taiwan.

President Ma Ying-jeou said the European plans were the result of his "viable diplomacy," looking for ways to expand Taiwanese participation in international affairs and organizations without damaging relations with China.

Taiwan had been negotiating for a visa waiver for many years, and if a positive ending was now finally within reach, "viable diplomacy" was the reason, Ma said.

Great Britain was the first European country last March to issue a visa waiver benefiting Taiwanese visitors staying for up to six months. In an effort to attract tourists after months of political turmoil, Thailand also canceled the visa requirement for visitors from Taiwan and other countries from last March to the same month next year.

The Irish Republic followed the British example last July, though for a shorter three months.

Outside of Europe, Japan issued a three-month visa waiver beginning last September, while reports expect Taiwanese travelers to Canada might enter visa-free beginning early next year.

DPP filibusters legislative session over U.S. beef
Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators filibustered Friday's legislative session in protest of the government's decision to lift Taiwan's partial import ban on U.S. beef and beef products.

Members of the DPP legislative caucus demanded that the administration renounce the protocol that Taiwan recently signed with the United States on opening its market to U.S. beef offal and ground beef and re-open negotiations between the two countries.

The DPP lawmakers forcibly occupied the rostrum on the legislative floor and prevented bills on the day's agenda from being screened.

If the filibuster continues throughout the day, as the DPP caucus has threatened, confirmation of the Central Election Commission's chairman, vice chairman and seven to nine members nominated by Premier Wu Den-yih will be forcibly postponed.

Meanwhile, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said Friday that re-starting the U.S.-Taiwan beef talks is the only option for the Ma Ying-jeou administration now that a majority of Taiwan's people do not accept the results of the protocol on beef signed between the two countries.

The Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH) announced Oct. 23 that Taiwan would expand market access for U.S. beef after officials of the two countries clinched a protocol on Oct. 22 in Washington, D.C., to lift a partial ban on such imports.

Under the terms of the protocol, U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef, intestines, brains, spinal cords and processed beef from cattle younger than 30 months that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials" will be allowed to enter Taiwan starting Nov. 10.

Tsai said that according to the latest public opinion poll conducted by the DPP, nearly 80 percent of Taiwan's people agreed that Taiwan should re-open negotiations with the U.S. and 70 percent of the respondents said the results of the latest round of U.S.-Taiwan talks were unacceptable to them.

Judging from current situation, she said, President Ma Ying-jeou has no grounds on which to persuade the public to accept the protocol.

Also on Friday, DPP spokesman Tsai Chi-chang questioned the professionalism of DOH Minister Yaung Chih-liang for a comment he made on the issue a day earlier.

"If only one single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease occurs in Taiwan because of the opening to U.S. beef imports, imports will be halted immediately," Yaung said.

Tsai said that when Taiwan agreed in 2006 to open its doors to U.S. boneless beef, it had attached the proviso that Taiwan would suspend U.S. beef imports if a single case of BSE occurred in the United States.

Noting that if a case of BSE occurs in Taiwan, Taiwan would be a mad cow disease affected area, a scenario too scary to be faced by Taiwan's people, Tsai argued.

"How, as the country's top health official, could Yaung set such low standards on imported beef?" the spokesman asked.

Taiwan relies heavily on imports for beef and beef products as less than 10 percent of domestic consumption is sourced locally. (By Kelven Huang, Chiu Chun-chin, Sophia Yeh and Deborah Kuo)

Kaohsiung mayor a favorite of DPP hopefuls on campaign trail
Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu, whose popularity rose after the city successfully staged the 2009 World Games, has emerged as one of the favored campaigners among Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hopefuls ahead of the year-end city and county chief elections.

Chen has been invited to campaign for DPP county magistrate candidates Chang Hwa-kuan in Chiayi, Cheng Wen-tsang in Taoyuan, and Tsao Chi-hung in Pingtung and for mayoral candidate Twu Shiing-jer in Chiayi City.

She will also be visiting Yilan County for a weekend election rally for magistrate candidate Lin Tsong-shyan.

DPP candidates in the past have tended to seek public support from heavyweights like former President Chen Shui-bian, former Vice President Annette Lu, and former premiers Frank Hsieh and Su Tseng-chang, but Chen has emerged from their shadows to become a popular campaign draw.

The Kaohsiung mayor said she hopes she can offer warm support for party comrades during this low period for the DPP and regain voters' confidence in the party.

A survey of Kaohsiung City residents published by the city's Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) on Sep. 24 found that 82 percent of those surveyed said they felt proud to be a resident of the southern Taiwan city, and Mayor Chen had a 78 percent approval rating.

RDEC attributed Chen's rising approval rate, which was 10 percent higher than the poll conducted a year ago, to the World Games held in July.

The year-end "three-in-one" elections for mayors and magistrates, city and county councilors, and city and township heads will be held Dec. 5.

As six cities and counties -- Taipei County, Taitung City and County, Tainan City and County, Kaohsiung County -- will be upgraded or merged into municipalities that will not elect new chiefs until late in 2010, this year's elections will be held in only 17 cities and counties. (By Wang Shwu Fen and Fanny Liu)

MOFA dismisses U.S. beef imports related to visa-free treatment
Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) The government has not eased restrictions on U.S. beef imports as a quid pro quo for visa-free treatment for Taiwan's citizens from the United States, Foreign Affairs Minister Timothy C. T. Yang said Friday.

Yang said the recent decision to open U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef and offal and the pursuit of visa-free treatment are "two totally unrelated issues."

Talks on easing U.S. imported beef had been in progress for two years, starting even before President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration on May 20, 2008, he said.

At the same time, Taipei and Washington are conducting talks on many issues, including U.S. granting visa-free treatment to Taiwanese nationals and the resumption of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Yang added.

The TIFA talks have become the most important channel of Taiwan-U.S. communication on trade and economic issues since the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1979. The event is hosted by Taiwan and the United States every year on a rotational basis.

The dialogue has been suspended since 2007, however, because of differences between the two sides on various issues, including U.S. beef exports.

"There are many common issues related to Taiwan-U.S. relations and interests, " and U.S. beef imports should not be linked to them, Yang said.

He also tried to calm fears that imported offal or ground beef from the U.S would trigger bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, in Taiwan, saying the government adopted a "cautious and responsible approach" during the talks and that the criteria under which U.S. beef will enter the country is stricter than in other countries. (By Shinyao Shih and Lilian Wu)

US ground beef still banned: premier
Despite signing a protocol lifting the ban on U.S. bone-in beef and beef products from cattle younger than 30 months, excluding cow tonsils and the distal ileum of the small intestine, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said on Thursday that the government would not lift the ban on ground beef and beef offal from the US.

"There will be no ground [U.S.] beef and [U.S.] beef offal on the market ... According to my understanding, no one will apply to import [the products], and the Department of Health [DOH] will reject their requests on the basis of related rules and regulations," Wu told reporters at the Executive Yuan.

In an attempt to ease public concern over the safety of U.S. beef, Wu responded positively to the request made by some local governments, lawmakers and consumer groups to exclude ground beef and internal organs from imports by imposing administrative measures.

"It's neither a problem of risk assessment, nor food safety. The problem now is that people doubt about the products. The government has to face [their doubts] squarely," Wu said.

Under DOH administrative measures, importers will be required to join an association through which they can apply to import ground meat and internal organs, Executive Yuan Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said.

The government said previously that it would also ban the import of brains, spinal cords, eyes and skulls from cattle less than 30 months of age in the supplementary clause under the protocol between Taiwan and the U.S. However, the government did not make the supplementary clause public.

The protocol states that the four ­products, defined as non-specific risk materials or without food-safety hazards, can be imported. It says that as long as importers do not place orders and these items are detected during the import inspection process, the DOH may return the box or boxes.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) declined to respond directly to Wu's statement, except to say that the details of the deal were contained in the protocol signed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) and AIT.

AIT press officer Christopher Kavanagh reiterated Washington's stance that US beef has been deemed by international standards created by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to be safe for human consumption and that the public should look at the science-based evidence.

At the Legislature on Thursday, Kuomintang (KMT) ­Legislator Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) asked Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) what the government would do if a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, was discovered in Taiwan because of U.S. beef consumption. Yaung said the ban would be immediately resumed if vCJD were discovered in Taiwan.

"We can do so immediately by following our own food regulations and laws," Yaung said.

Yaung urged the public not to panic about U.S. beef because the policy to allow imports was made after careful consideration. "The potential danger from eating U.S. beef is almost zero," he said.

KMT Legislator Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) was not happy with that.

"When you say it is 'almost safe,' you mean there is still a risk," Sun said.

Yaung promised the government would carefully examine imported U.S. beef.

"We will demand a lot of evidence to prove it is safe before it is sold," Yaung said.

Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) defended Yaung over the minister's alleged resignation, saying that Yaung was a victim of the U.S. beef import controversy.

"The truth is [the relaxation] was decided secretly by a few people, while Minister Yaung was kept in the dark," Lee charged.

KMT members appeal suspension
Three former Kuomintang (KMT) Central Standing Committee members on Thursday appealed a party decision to suspend their party membership rights for election bribery, while some suspended members had friends register for the CSC by-election.

Former KMT legislator Lee ­Chuan-chiao (李全教) protested the party's suspension of his rights for three months over bribery allegations, insisting that he should still be considered a CSC member because he never agreed to resign.

"I feel wronged by the disciplinary action against me because I never sent gifts to party delegates. Those gifts were sent by my supporters," he said.

Another two members whose rights were suspended, Yao Chiang-lin (姚江臨) and Lai Diao-tsan (賴調燦), also appealed the decision, saying they were innocent.

They were among 12 members whose rights were suspended by the KMT Evaluation and Disciplinary Committee for vote-buying in the CSC election on October 11.

Lai and another suspended member, Hua Jen (華真), ignored the disciplinary action and registered for the by-election, but the disciplinary committee rejected their applications on Thursday.

The disciplinary committee approved 73 members to run in the by-election on November 14.

Yao, KMT Legislator Chen Chieh (陳杰) and Core Pacific Group (威京集團) chairman Shen Ching-ching (沈慶京) asked family members or friends to run for them in the by-election. Six KMT Taipei City councilors and Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Yong-ping (李永萍) also registered for the by-election.

Meanwhile, KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would meet the candidates on Friday night and address the issue of eliminating election bribery to reform the party.

The party will elect 32 CSC members in the by-election on November 14, who will take office on November 18.

Former diplomat demands probe into swindling case
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Lyu-hsun (沈呂巡) on Thursday demanded a new investigation into a scandal in which he was accused of swindling more than NT$4 million (US$123,000) in government funds by falsely reporting rental expenses during his post in Geneva.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said the case could be reopened to examine whether there were any procedural flaws, but Shen would have to first file an appeal.

The career diplomat of three decades told reporters the allegations had damaged his reputation and ruined his aging father's health, who, he said, suffered a stroke upon hearing the news.

Shen was slapped with a demerit on the eve of last year's presidential election when it was discovered that the Geneva representative office was smaller than reported and Shen, who headed the mission, had paid more than NT$4 million too much in office rent for the four years since 2004.

Some reporters and pan-green legislators accused Shen of being in cahoots with the office space's landlord, but he vehemently denied the allegations.

He said that not only did he not pocket any money, but he convinced the landlord to hand back the extra money and reduce the rent by 20 percent.

"I was the one that reported the discrepancy to the ministry," he said in his defense.

When asked who he thought might have leaked the story and if it reflected political infighting within the ministry, Shen said he had an idea who the person was, but that the man had left MOFA for another government department.

"It is someone that does not want me to come back," he said.

Shen said he hoped a new investigation could be launched to look into the matter because he was not given an adequate chance to explain his side of the story when the ministry conducted its internal disciplinary review of the case.

DPP councilor to appeal sentence
Tainan City Councilor Wang Ding-yu (王定宇), of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said on Wednesday that he would appeal a sentence of four months in prison after he was convicted for harassing a visiting Chinese official in an incident that was widely televised last year.

"I have decided to appeal the sentence handed down to me by the Tainan District Court because I did not knock Zhang Mingqing (張銘清) to the ground," Wang told reporters.

The Tainan District Court announced its verdict against Wang on September 21.

When the incident occurred on October 21 last year, Zhang, vice chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), was visiting Taiwan to attend an academic seminar in Tainan in his capacity as an academic.

Wang was accused of pushing Zhang to the ground to protest his private visit to the city's Confucius Temple that day. Wang led a group of independence activists to the temple where they accosted Zhang.

Zhang, who suffered minor bruises, was rushed to a Tainan hospital. He filed a complaint with local authorities and immediately returned to China, cutting short his visit to Taiwan.

Wang said he did not push Zhang, and that Chinese official "lost his balance."

Six other accomplices were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 40 days to four months after being indicted on charges of hindering personal freedom, but all of them have the option of paying a fine instead of serving their prison terms.

Wang said he had been soliciting donations for his six companions and that he would use the money to help them pay their fines so they wouldn't have to serve prison sentences.

Zhang's visit preceded that of ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), the highest-ranking Chinese envoy to visit Taiwan in 60 years.

Colleges mull group to lobby for PRC students
A number of private universities are mulling an alliance to lobby legislators for several bills that would allow universities to recruit students from China.

At a conference held by the Association of Private Universities and Colleges on strategies to recruit students from China, Shih Hsin University president Lai Ting-ming (賴鼎銘) said proposed amendments to related legislation had come to a standstill because of opposition from certain legislators.

He did not specify which legislators, but said private universities in Taiwan must fight to make legislators realize that Taiwan has an edge in attracting Chinese students.

Chinese Culture University president Yang Tai-shun (楊泰順) urged the Legislature to pass proposals to let universities recruit students from China, saying Taiwan must be proactive as many countries are competing for China's brightest students.

Yang said the university had set aside as many as 300 spots in its dormitories to accommodate Chinese students.

The Education and Culture Committee and the Internal Administration Committee of the Legislature were scheduled to review amendments related to the matter on a number of occasions during the spring legislative session, but all of the reviews were boycotted by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators.

DPP lawmakers said recruiting Chinese students could ultimately infringe on the rights of Taiwanese students.

The Ministry of Education has promised to deny Chinese students benefits such as scholarships and work permits that would allow them to stay and seek jobs after graduation.

Fu Jen Catholic University president Bernard Li (黎建球), who presided over the conference, said the debate over whether to recruit Chinese students had "long been dominated by ideology."

Li said private universities were eyeing the top 1 million high school graduates in China, not students with poor academic performance, and recruitment would not simply be a way to resolve difficulties filling enrollment vacancies.

Obama will have to deal soon with arms sales to Taiwan: scholars
Washington, Oct. 28 (CNA) U.S. President Barack Obama will soon have to face the issue of whether the U.S. should continue arms sales to Taiwan, after he visits Beijing in mid November, scholars in Washington said Wednesday.

Obama is scheduled to pay his first state visit to China on Nov. 15 after attending the Nov. 12-14 leaders summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Singapore.

At an academic colloquium in Washington, Alan Romberg, director of the East Asian Studies division of the Henry L. Stimson Center, speculated that Beijing will strongly protest if President Obama authorizes a new round of arms sales to Taiwan, even if the package does not include the high performance F-16C/Ds jet fighters that Taiwan is eager to acquire.

The worst reaction from China in the past was its suspension of military exchanges with the U.S. over Washington's decisions on arms sales to Taiwan, Romberg said at the seminar hosted by George Washington University's Center for Asian Studies.

However, it's uncertain how strong Beijing's protest would be this time, he added.

At the colloquium, titled U.S. Policy Directions on Taiwan, another panelist, National Defense University professor Bernard Cole, estimated that President Obama would have to deal with the arms sales issue in 2010 at the latest.

However, Cole said, the most worrying factors would be the Taiwan leadership's apparent lack of interest in modernizing the island's military and the impact of an aging society on the Taiwan armed forces.

Another panelist, Georgetown University professor Nancy Tucker, said she noticed that there are voices in Taiwan arguing against spending a fortune to acquire weapons now that cross-Taiwan Strait relations have improved under President Ma Ying-jeou's administration.

Others in Taiwan are worried that improved cross-strait ties may lead Washington to become too complacent (about cross-strait ties) to sell weapon systems to Taiwan, Tucker added.

She said the Pentagon will probably not consider selling F-16C/Ds to Taiwan, but in reality, the Taiwan Air Force does not have many choices in its efforts to acquire more advanced fighters to maintain its defense capability. The F-16C/Ds are one of the options, she said.

The scholars agreed that the Obama administration should continue to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

On one hand, this would demonstrate the United States' commitment to Taiwan, and on the other would avoid criticism of President Ma by Taiwan's opposition parties, they said.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, which was passed in 1979 after Washington severed formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing, the U.S. guarantees defensive arms sales to Taiwan.

The U.S. Defense Department notified Congress on Oct. 3, 2008 of its approval of a US$6.46 billion arms package to Taiwan, which includes Apache attack helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, Javelin anti-tank missiles and sea-launched Harpoon missiles, as well as an upgrade of the E-2T aircraft to the Hawkeye 2000 configuration, along with related support equipment.

The approved package, however, does not include the diesel-electric submarines, Black Hawk helicopters and F-16C/Ds that Taiwan was seeking.

(By Zep Hu and Deborah Kuo)

Taiwan's president vows balance over U.S. beef issue
Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou vowed Thursday to find a balance between Taiwanese people's health and the country's international creditability after the government decided last week to open its door wider to U.S. beef products, to the criticism of some people in Taiwan.

"Finding a balance between the Taiwan people's health and the country's efforts to participate in the international arena is the government's top mission," Ma stressed.

Ma made the remarks at the Presidential Office when receiving a group of Taiwanese business people and Taiwan-based foreign trade officials recognized as outstanding this year.

Commenting on the controversy arising from the U.S. beef issue, Ma said the government fully respects the initiatives launched by the private sector to boycott some of the U.S. beef products that will soon be allowed into Taiwan in line with a protocol inked by Taiwan and the United States on Oct. 22 in Washington, D.C. to lift a partial ban on U.S. beef imports.

"If the private sector can take the initiative to screen the stuff they want, it will help spare the government from re-opening the talks with the United States and help avoid hurting Taiwan's international creditability," Ma said.

Still, Ma tried reassured the public about the safety of the beef products from the United States.

According to the president, the U.S. side will control its beef product quality from the origin, while Taiwan's veterinarians are entitled to conduct checkups at designated slaughterhouses in the United States.

"The United States will be responsible for effective management of its beef in the very beginning, while the Taiwan government will be accountable for the same issue on the borderland, " the president explained.

"This sort of quality control mechanism is the strictest management ever seen."

Ma said Taiwan could not turn down the United States' demand to hold negotiations on the issue in abidance of the norms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) , but throughout the whole negotiation process, government officials did stick to the principle of security and safety.

"The terms obtained in the negotiating table should be enough to help protect Taiwan nationals' health, " he said. "This is the reason behind the government's decision to relax restrictions on the importation of U.S. beef."

Under the new pact, U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef, offal, brains, and processed beef from cattle younger than 30 months and that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials" will be permitted to enter Taiwan starting Nov. 10.

Specific risk materials are defined in the protocol as brains, skulls, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cords, vertebral columns and dorsal root ganglia from cattle 30 months of age and older, or tonsils and the distal ileum of the small intestine from cattle of all ages.

At present, Taiwan only allows imports of U.S. boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months that contain no specified risk materials.

Turning to foreign affairs, Ma hailed the results of a flexible diplomacy strategy adopted by his administration after he assumed the presidency in May last year, to increase Taiwan's international presence and improve ties with China.

Citing as an example, the president said it is possible that the European Union will grant visa-free treatment to Taiwanese citizens next year. Ma also expressed hope of seeing concrete results next year from an economic cooperation framework agreement being negotiated between Taiwan and China. (By Carfie Lee and Flor Wang)

Taiwan mulling ways to stop internal party election bribery
Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior (MOI) will push for passage of a "political party law" to regulate internal party elections, Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah said Thursday in the wake of alleged rampant vote-buying during the ruling Kuomintang's recent election.

The minister made the declaration after President Ma Ying-jeou said in a recent interview with a local magazine "The Journalist" that he supports developing legislation for a political party law to incriminate those who commit vote-buying or bribery in elections for political party positions.

Before the enactment of a political party law, Ma said the government may also consider revising the existing Public Officials Election and Recall Law to regulate intraparty elections in order to prevent such elections from being tarnished by bribery or vote-buying.

The president further said in the interview that regardless of whether the new regulations will be integrated into the proposed Political Party Act or in the revised election and recall law, prison terms should be included as punitive measures for those who are convicted of vote-buying in elections for political party posts.

Ma, who doubles as chairman of the KMT, said that without clear legal regulations to incriminate those who commit vote-buying in elections inside political parties, his administration's lofty goals of political reform and elimination of official corruption cannot be realized.

Ma's statement came amid criticism that the latest elections for the KMT's decision-making Central Standing Committee (CSC) was marred by rampant bribery.

Echoing Ma's call, some lawmakers have also proposed that elections for political party positions and party primaries for public office elections be put under regulations of the planned Political Party Act or the existing Public Officials Election and Recall Law.

Interior Minister Jiang noted that the Public Officials Election and Recall Law already stipulates that no bribery is allowed in party primaries for public office elections.

As to elections for political party chairmanship and other party posts, Jiang said, relevant regulations should be incorporated into the proposed Political Party Act which he said his ministry is still working on.

"Interior ministry officials are studying relevant legislation and legal revision issues and will keep close contact with legislative caucuses of the ruling and opposition parties in the process, " Jiang said, adding that his ministry will endeavor to seek a social consensus on the anti-vote-buying cause.

Responding to complaints by opposition Democratic Progressive Party legislators at a legislative session later in the day that some police officers helped with vote canvassing before the KMT's Oct. 11 CSC elections, Jiang said such acts were not done during police officers' working hours.

"The proposed Political Party Act will strictly prohibit such acts and before the law is enacted, I will issue official letters to ask all ministry staff to refrain from being involved in any political party elections," Jiang added.

In an indication of its determination to wipe out corruption and establish clean politics, the KMT kicked two members from the CSC for their involvement in vote-buying during the election and all of the remaining members of the committee have decided to relinquish their CSC posts following Ma's open encouragement.

As a result, the KMT has decided to elect new CSC members on Nov. 14 and 75 hopefuls have registered their candidacy for the election. But only 73 of the hopefuls meet all requirements to run in the election, according to party sources. (By Su Lung-chi and Sofia Wu)

Saint Vincent prime minister lauds firm friendship with Taiwan
Panama City, Panama, Oct. 28 (CNA) The friendship between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has become ever-stronger after many years of cooperation between the two countries, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Wednesday.

Addressing the inauguration of a national library in the Caribbean country constructed using funds from Taiwan, Gonsalves said the biggest public library in the Caribbean region is the best testimony to the friendship between the two countries.

Gonsalves also expressed his thanks to Taiwan for its assistance with several other infrastructure projects, including the country's Youth Empowerment Service (YES) program, which has been rated as the best model program worthy of emulation by other countries in the region by the Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) Latin American regional office.

The program is geared toward the economic and personal skills and the social enhancement of unemployed young people.

Examination Yuan President John Kuan, who was visiting Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the country's 30th anniversary of independence, also attended the ceremony.

Kuan said that assisting Taiwan's allies in strengthening the development of their human resources has been included in his government's white paper on foreign aid policy published in May and that the library's establishment marks the fulfillment of the principles covered in the white paper.

Kuan also said that Taiwan will stick to its promise to continue with bilateral cooperative programs. (By Huang Kwang-chun and Y.L. Kao)

EU, Taiwan working hard on visa-free treatment: EU envoy
Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) The top European Union envoy to Taiwan said Thursday that the European Commission is working hard with the Taiwanese authorities to establish visa-free privileges for Taiwanese nationals entering the Schengen area, but added that there is no timetable on the issue.

Guy Ledoux, head of the Taipei-based European Economic and Trade Office, told CNA that "we are working towards making a proposal before the end of the year, but whether it can be done I'm not sure."

He noted that the incumbent EU Commission's term will expire at the end of October, with a new commission coming into office in January.

"Before that, I don't know whether any new initiative will be made," Ledoux said.

Ledoux's remarks came in response to comments made by Charles Tannock, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) and chairman of a pro-Taiwan group in the European parliament, who said a day earlier in Taipei that he hopes Taiwanese people will be able to enter EU nations without a visa by early 2010.

Although Chiu Jong-jen, director-general of the department of European Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) , said later that day that Taiwanese nationals are expected to be granted visa-free privileges at some point between April and June next year, MOFA spokesman Henry Chen pointed out that in fact there is no timetable for the issue, saying only that things are moving in a positive direction. (By Rachel Chan)

KMT starts year-end election campaign
The Kuomintang (KMT) on Wednesday launched the party's election campaign for December's three-in-one elections, with party chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) vowing to win the elections and earn the public's trust.

"Winning the elections is our priority, but not the only goal. The KMT must win people's hearts and trust as well," Ma said at the launching ceremony of the party's election campaign.

The campaign team, led by Ma, will include party heavyweights including Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) as well as party legislators to campaign for candidates in year-end elections.

Ma said he would transform the KMT into a party with integrity and discipline, and called on party members to participate in party reform.

"The KMT is a hundred-year-old shop, and the old shop has its power and its burden. We must strengthen our powers and get rid of the burden," he said.

The party plans to hold six Central Standing Committee (CSC) meetings in local cities and counties to show support for party candidates after the new committee members are elected on November 14.

In related news, a total of 75 members registered for the CSC by-election, including National Youth Commission Minister Wang Yu-ting (王昱婷) and resigned committee members such as Sean Lien (連勝文).

Hua Jen (華真) and Lai Diao-tsan (賴調燦), who were among the 12 former CSC members whose party rights were suspended for three months amid allegations of vote buying, ignored the disciplinary action and registered for the by-election. Lai proclaimed his innocence and threatened to commit suicide to prove it if the party rejected his registration.

KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅), who became the first committee member to resign in the push for a by-election, abided by his promise of never running in a CSC election again by not registering. The by-election is being held in the wake of allegations of widespread bribery and inappropriate gift-giving.

All 32 elected members resigned by Monday to push for a by-election, and the KMT approved the holding of the by-election on Monday night in a provisional committee meeting.

Presidential Office member asks to resign
Presidential Office press relations director Tsai Chung-li (蔡仲禮) offered to resign amid graft allegations, the office said on Wednesday.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said Tsai offered his resignation on Tuesday, but Presidential Office Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) turned it down and instead transferred him to a non-executive position while and internal investigation is being conducted.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) told Tsai to explain the matter to the public, said Wang, who made the remarks in response to a report published in a local newspaper on Wednesday.

The report quoted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) and Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) as claiming that Tsai Chung-li had purchased a house in Maryland in October 2005. Tsai Chung-li would have been entitled to subsidies of US$2,464 a month if he did not own a house, and US$869 if he did. The DPP legislators charged that he continued to collect the full compensation after buying the house.

Kuan said she suspected Tsai Chung-li had committed forgery, fraud and embezzlement. Liao said that Tsai Chung-li reported the matter to him on Tuesday but said his wife was in charge of his finances. However, he said he wanted to shoulder any responsibility for the matter because he and his wife have joint accounts.

Similar accusations were made last month when DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) citing a Next Magazine article, claimed that former EU representative Shen Lyu-hsun (沈呂巡) had inflated the rent of his office in Geneva during his term from 2003 to last year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, dismissed the allegation. The ministry said Shen took the initiative to report the matter to them in February 2007. The ministry said the landlord had provided false information about the area of the office and overcharged for rent, requiring Shen to claim more subsidies to pay the rent.

A probe launched by the ministry that was concluded in May last year found that Shen had not embezzled funds, but that he had not handled the matter well. Shen received two demerits but was later promoted to his current position of deputy minister of foreign affairs.

MOFA positive on hopes for European visa waiver
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Wednesday that there was no timetable in Taiwan's possible inclusion in a European visa-waiver program but that things were moving in a "positive direction."

A Central News Agency report quoted Chiu Jong-jen (邱仲仁), the director-general of the Department of the European Affairs, as saying that if things go well, Taiwan could be part of the Schengen Agreement's short-term visa-waiver program as early as April next year.

Chiu said the proposal to include Taiwan in the program would hopefully be ratified by the end of this month before seeking approval from the Council of Europe and the European Parliament (EP), but that the newly signed Lisbon Treaty, which will bring a dramatic change in the EU governance system, could delay the process.

Charles Tannock, the chairman of the Taiwan Friendship Group in the EP, told reporters that in his exchanges with the Cyprus ambassador he had said: "I managed to achieve one little goal for the friends of Taiwan, namely they [Cyprus] will no longer obstruct the EU's gradual process towards granting short-term Taiwanese visitors visa-free status in the Schengen Area, and this hopefully will happen early next year."

Taiwan has been lobbying for visa-waiver privileges to Schengen countries for a number of years. Recently, the UK and Ireland agreed to grant six-month visa-free privileges to Taiwanese passport holders.

The European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan declined to comment on the matter.

MOFA Spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政), who was more reserved when asked about the timetable, said the ministry was working hard on achieving the status. The developments have been positive so far, he said.

In his speech, Tannock praised Taiwan as a highly valued trading partner to the EU and said that the global credit crunch would serve as a "wake-up call" and encourage both sides to forge a Taiwan-EU Trade Enhancement Measure similar to a free-trade agreement.

Tannock, who publicly supports Taiwan's bid for more participation in international organizations, also said that despite the lack of formal ties with any of the 27 EU countries, Taiwan still has many friends in the EU bloc and the country’s thriving democracy could be a positive influence on China.

Meanwhile, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said that Taiwan hoped to develop closer relations with Ireland.

Wu told visiting members of the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Society — led by John Perry, a member of Ireland’s parliament — that Taiwan cherishes and values its friendship with Ireland.

Wu said developing closer ties between the two nations was important and that both Taiwan and Ireland should pursue more cooperation in culture, education and trade.

The premier said that as cross-strait relations improve, Taiwan also hopes to better relations with Europe, the U.S. and Japan.

"Taiwan does not want to become a flashpoint in the world," he said, adding that it wants to be a responsible member of the global village.

Taiwan has been actively seeking to join the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization to share information about energy saving and aviation with the rest of the world, Wu said.

The Executive Yuan held a meeting on October 12 to finalize the nation's strategy for seeking participation in the UNFCCC and hoped to join the next meeting planned for December in Copenhagen.

Wu also said Taiwan hoped to gain full membership at the WHO despite the fact it was only an observer at the World Health Assembly this year.

MND cautious on confidence-building measures with PRC
Ministry of National Defense (MND) spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) said on Wednesday that Taiwan had no timetable for conducting talks on confidence-building measures with China.

"We do not have any timeline for that issue at the moment," Yu said.

Yu was responding to comments by Qian Lihua (錢利華), director of the foreign affairs office of the Chinese Ministry of Defense. Qian had said that Chinese officials were more than willing to discuss cross-strait confidence-building measures with Taipei.

Qian said Taiwan has yet to forge a substantive view on the matter and urged Taipei to coordinate with Beijing on the issue.

Yu said the government's cross-strait policy consists of three basic principles, with economics coming before politics, taking on easy tasks before difficult ones and focusing on urgent issues before non-urgent issues.

"The MND follows the government's policy toward cross-strait issues," Yu said.

Yu said that the confidence-building measures were a goal, but the ministry would be conservative in implementing government policy.

"Such an issue cannot be rushed," he said, adding that: "We will wait for the right moment."

Culture minister tenders resignation
Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Huang Pi-twan tendered her resignation, but Premier Wu Den-yih asked her to stay on, the Executive Yuan said on Wednesday. Wu asked her to take a couple of days leave and rethink her offer, Cabinet spokesman Su Jun-pin said.

Huang reportedly sent a text message to friends comparing her fate to a slave being thrown to the lions during the Roman Empire. No matter how much effort she gave, lawmakers would always criticize her, she reportedly said. After the text message was made public by lawmakers, she apparently decided to offer her resignation.

Wu praised Huang for her achievements in protecting cultural heritage, promoting cultural events and planning new sites, Su said.

She was scheduled to appear at the Legislative Yuan for a review of her department's 2010 budget by lawmakers on Wednesday, but she asked for leave. Her absence and the news of her resignation led to opposition lawmakers refusing to discuss the budget.

DPP legislator Lin Shu-fen said Huang leaving her post half way through the budget review was irresponsible, so lawmakers should stop its discussions. The culture minister found her work difficult because she had met with rejection from the cultural world, Lin said.

In a letter to CCA staff, Huang said she was taking leaves while waiting for her resignation to be approved. She said she had completed her tasks and wanted to retire.

Huang had found it difficult to adapt to her role as government minister, Su said, and had phoned the premier on Tuesday to tender her resignation.

She became the first Cabinet member to officially resign since Premier Wu Den-yih took office last month. Media reports said Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang offered his resignation on Wednesday morning over the uproar against the import of U.S. beef, but was convinced by Wu to stay on.

Taiwan did not give in to the US on beef imports: official


Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) Taiwan's Secretary General of the National Security Council (NSC) said Wednesday that the government's decision to allow previously banned U.S. beef products to be imported to the island resulted from negotiations with Washington that have proven that Taiwan is capable of negotiating, which is significant as Taiwan will soon engage in a series of negotiations.

Su Chi made the remarks at a news conference convened to clear public doubts regarding the government's decision-making process and negotiation capability in the aftermath of its decision on U.S. beef.

The government's decision this month to allow U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef and offal to be imported to Taiwan after they had been banned due to fears of mad cow disease has generated criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as well as members of the ruling Kuomintang.

Refuting the claim that the government has totally given in by relaxing restrictions on the beef imports, Su asserted that by reaching the agreement with the U.S., Taiwan has established its credibility in negotiations.

He stressed the significance of the negotiations over beef imports, saying "Taiwan will soon enter into an era of negotiations."

Many issues need to be resolved through negotiations with the U.S., Japan, the European Union, Southeast Asian countries, and mainland China, Su elaborated.

As South Korea was able to achieve the signing of a free trade agreement with the United States and the U.S. began allowing Korean visitors to enter the U.S. without visas after Seoul eased restrictions on U.S. beef imports, many people in Taiwan are expecting that the Korean model can be applied to Taiwan.

But Su was reluctant to make such an assumption.

He said that the past eight years of governing by the DPP had pushed Taiwan to the brink of war with China, but that thanks to efforts by current President Ma Ying-jeou's administration, Taiwan has been able to recover mutual trust with the U.S., Japan and mainland China.

Su explained that the decision of relaxing restrictions on U.S. beef imports was reached after a long process of 17 months of review and three stages of discussions.

The government will review the implementation of the relaxation of the ban on U.S. beef products after the new practice is put into force for 180 days, Su said. (By Carfie Li and Lillian Lin)/cs

KMT suspends rights of 12 members over scandal
The Kuomintang (KMT) on Tuesday suspended the rights of 12 party members participating in the Central Standing Committee (CSC) election for three months amid allegations of vote buying.

Twenty-eight of the committee's elected members tendered their resignations last week, accusing the party of selectively investigating allegations of vote-buying during the election campaign.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as KMT chairman, held a provisional meeting on Thursday after the KMT revoked the election of two CSC members for bribing party delegates on Oct. 20. Ma on Monday finalized a plan to hold a CSC by-election on November 14.

Juan Kang-meng (阮剛猛), director of the party's disciplinary committee, told reporters after the committee held a provisional meeting on Tuesday afternoon that although the 12 members denied they had given gifts, they allowed their supporters to do so and therefore undermined the image of the party. Eight out of the 12 were elected.

Juan said that the decision capped a week-long investigation into the vote-buying allegations after the party nullified the election of two members on October 20. Tuesday's disciplinary measures reflected the party's resolve to push for reform, he said.

As the party has publicized the rules on running in the year-end three-in-one elections and stumping for candidates, Juan said the committee also decided to mete out punishments to offenders.

The three-in-one polls refer to the election of city mayors and county commissioners, city and county councilors and township and village chiefs.

While the Hsinchu chapter reported a total of 36 members violating the party code to contest the December polls, Juan said they decided to revoke the memberships of some and suspend the party rights of others.

The committee revoked the memberships of Hsinchu County Magistrate Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永金) and his wife Cheng Song Li-hua (鄭宋麗華) for stumping for Hsinchu County Council Speaker Chang Pi-chin (張碧琴), Juan said.

Chang was stripped of her membership for ignoring the party's warning to run in the race, as the party had already nominated KMT Legislator Chiu Ching-chun (邱鏡淳) as its candidate.

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Supreme Court rejects ex-president's appeal for release


Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) The Supreme Count rejected Thursday an appeal by former President Chen Shui-bian against a lower court ruling earlier in the month to keep him in custody.

The Taiwan High Court ruled Oct. 9 that the former president should remain in custody, on the grounds that he might abscond if released from detention. Chen later appealed the judgment in the Supreme Court.

Both Chen and his wife Wu Shu-jen were sentenced Sept. 11 by the Taipei District Court to life in prison, in addition to receiving fines of NT$200 million (US$6.13 million) and NT$300 million, respectively, on several counts of corruption, including embezzling from a presidential fund for state affairs, taking bribes from local businessmen and money laundering.

Chen was first detained Nov. 12 last year and released Dec. 13 following his indictment. He was detained again Dec. 30 after the Taipei District Court approved a request by prosecutors to take him back into custody and he has not been released since.

With his appeal having been rejected by the Supreme Court, Chen will now have to remain in the Taipei detention center until late next month at the earliest, when the Taiwan Court is due to re-open a hearing on whether Chen should be detained for a longer period of time while his appeal against his jail sentence proceeds. (By Lai Yu-chia, Ann Chi-shen and Bear Lee)

Amendment aims to curb sexual abuse
The legislature yesterday passed an amendment to the Teacher’s Act (教師法) and related resolutions designed to provide students with a learning environment free from sexual abuse or sexual harassment.

The amendment plugs a loophole in current legislation that allows teachers implicated in sexual abuse cases to continue teaching in schools

The amendment stipulates that a teacher review committee must suspend any teacher allegedly involved in sexual abuse from duty within a month of the alleged incident and refer the case for investigation by the school’s gender equality committee.

The offender can be dismissed, suspended or denied renewed employment should the investigation determine the allegation to be true.

At present, committees, which are usually composed of other teachers or administrators, sometimes fail to act against one of their own and through indecision or inaction allow teachers found guilty by the gender equity education committee to continue teaching, sometime for years. That practice has resulted in some suspects repeating their crimes.

Article 14 of the Act, which covers actions for which teachers can have their contracts terminated, contains a clause that censures “conduct unbecoming of a teacher,” but it was too vague to ensure teachers implicated in sexual offenses were kept out of the classroom.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Nancy Chao (趙麗雲) said she hoped the revised rules would deter teachers from abusing a position of authority to sexually harass pupils.

Under the non-binding adjunct resolutions, a gender equality committee is required to complete its investigation into an alleged case within one month, while personnel in charge of handling the allegations could be given a major demerit by the Ministry of Education (MOE) should they try to cover up any case.

The MOE will also invite judicial personnel to take part in cultivating investigative talent and helping schools conduct proper investigations.

The amendments also suggested that schools, while conducting the probe, should invite social workers or police to help.

Meanwhile, the legislature also passed an amendment to the Statute for Developing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (中小企業發展條例) granting the government the legal basis to establish a fund to help local governments promote township industries.

Lin Sheng-chung (林聖忠), deputy minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said that the government will appropriate NT$1 billion (US$30.78 million) for the fund in the first year.

Also passed at the legislature was an amendment to the Labor Insurance Regulations (勞工保險條例) to finance indebted workers unable to make payments on their relief loans.

The amendment could potentially relieve the burden for 100,000 laborers, said KMT Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍).

Cops arrest artist over depiction of Ma having sex
Artist Lin Guo-wu (林國武) has attracted media attention after he was arrested on Thursday for drawing a picture that depicted President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) having sexual intercourse with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The painter had remained relatively unknown for the last 13 years despite depicting many politicians in obscene drawings.

Taipei County Councilor King Chieh-shou (金介壽) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) recently received a postcard from Lin showing the image of Ma and Clinton.

After investigating, Taipei County police said Lin had also drawn crude pictures of former presidents Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Lin told the media he would have sent the postcards straight to the police had he known he would have received so much media attention over them.

The postcard King received depicted Ma standing on two bricks having sexual intercourse with Clinton using jiujiu shengong (九九神功)a method of qigong (氣功)in which practitioners hang and lift heavy objects such as bricks with their genitals.

King reported the matter to the police, saying that the postcards were insulting to the president. Lin was arrested by within 24 hours. Police said they found and confiscated two original sketches of the picture, postcards and a list of names of well-known people that Lin uses in his artworks.

The police originally thought Lin was a political extremist obsessed with politics, but later discovered that his works have also used Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet as subjects and are now at a loss as to what Lin intends with these illustrations.

From other works confiscated, the police could tell that Lin was a painter because of the fine detail of his work. The police also discovered that Lin’s name is registered in a cultural database kept by the Council for Cultural Affairs and that Lin had staged exhibitions of his works in 1993 and 2001, all on the subject of jiujiu shengong.

Lin, 48, graduated from the fine arts department at Chinese Culture University and delivers newspapers to make a living, earning NT$10,000 per month.

Lin’s mother said her son’s personality totally changed about a decade ago after he started learning jiujiu shengong and that she hoped the police would let her son free. However, Lin said that he didn’t mind going to jail for his art.

After questioning, the police charged Lin with “offenses against sexual morality (妨害風化罪).”

The police added the people depicted in the pictures could sue Lin if they feel their rights have been damaged.

Taoyuan village sets example for communities
Sandwiched between a busy highway overpass, two gigantic TV factories and a small, but busy amusement park is the surprisingly quaint Gaoyuan Village (高原). Here the roads are meticulously clean and are lined with small gardens and farms.

However, a few things set Gaoyuan apart — black compost bins line the streets, the water is crystal clear and tastes almost sweet and its residents seem to all wear a slight smile as if sharing a common secret.

Gaoyuan is located just off Freeway No. 3 in Taoyuan County. It has a small but growing population of near 5,000 that is predominantly Hakka.

Gaoyuan’s secret, however, is not so secret anymore, since the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) shared it with the rest of the country.

In April this year, the EPA designated Gaoyuan a “model community,” hoping to showcase how the village and villagers have prospered through caring of and cherishing their environment. As opposed to the common problems many small villages face, its population and economy are flourishing and its residents seem to be genuinely happy.

Currently, there are 24 model communities across the country. The EPA hopes that through these examples, their environmental practices can soon spread to the nation’s 8,000 other towns and villages.

Local residents said that their village was not always like this.

“Gaoyuan is becoming better and better,” said 70-year-old Yu Hsin-hsiung (余信雄), adding that since he moved there fifteen years ago the village’s living environment has dramatically improved.

In fact, a dozen years ago, the village was in dire straits — it was the target of illegal dumping and there was waste and pollution everywhere, said village chief Huang Yu-chin (黃玉琴). She said that as a result, residents were moving elsewhere in increasing numbers as living standards deteriorated and parks and green spaces were virtually non-existent.

“We started by cleaning up the environment with local volunteers,” Huang said. “For the first three years, we picked up the garbage, stopped waste from being illegally disposed of here and treated the water pollution coming from nearby factories.”

This was done with a volunteer group of more than 80 people; a number that is still sustained today, Huang said.

The village soon brought in public compost bins to encourage residents to recycle leftover food, a move that cut down waste and helped Gaoyuan’s farming community at the same time. The public compost bins are connected to small gardens that all residents can use to grow their own food.

Huang said that these measures helped residents to take pride in their neighborhood. Clearing the streets and cleaning the gardens was no longer something the village volunteers had to do by themselves but instead was completed jointly along with all Gaoyuan residents.

“I started to learn more [about the environment] after volunteering … it is really fun and I want to help more people,” high school student Chan Hsin-yi (詹欣宜) said.

She helps in the neighborhood showing visitors the importance of environmental conservation.

Equally as important, Chan wants to stay in Gaoyuan because of its environment and sense of community.

More recently, the volunteers started a program that recycles hazardous materials by exchanging them for reusable chopsticks. Huang also later applied for funds to build a 1km long walking path and bicycle paths to encourage residents to walk and ride bicycles.

All these measures helped Gaoyuan garner one of the EPA’s top scores for cleanliness and volunteer participation. In addition, it has consistently received the No. 1 award for its environment in Taoyuan County.

Other communities should learn from Gaoyuan and the example of model communities said Yeh ­Jiunn-horng (葉俊宏), ­Director-General of Comprehensive Planning at the EPA.

“While environmental awareness is very important, it starts with culture,” Yeh said.

“Previously in Gaoyuan, no one cared about its environment, outsiders saw it as a safe haven for dumping and waste. However, once people started taking an interest, the whole process [of environmental awareness] was put in motion,” Yeh said.

However, the benefits of its accomplishments are not only limited to the environment. ­Gaoyuan’s economy has also steadily improved despite the global downturn.

It has started to attract tours and groups wishing to understand more about its achievements. Last year, thirty such groups visited the village and numbers are increasing.

The village has also started attracting new artists that are interested in Gaoyuan’s eco-culture. Its community center is filled with sculptures and models made from recycled goods.

The highlight is a traditional Hakka sacrificial pig made out of 25,000 bottle caps. Not only has it saved a pig, the village has made money by renting it out to other Hakka festivals.

Local farmers have also said that the quality of crop yields has been consistently increasing as less harmful chemicals and pollutants are entering the land.

In fact, the villagers plan to erect a new showroom for their eco-arts and farm produce next year.

“We have accomplished much, but still … we will continue to work hard to better this community,” Huang said.

The EPA hopes that this example can repeat itself throughout the country.

“Communities are the foundation of this country,” Yeh said. “If every community can accomplish what we have achieved here today … the entire country will be better for it.”

Mental illnesses put on list of occupational disease
Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has officially listed work-related mental illnesses as an occupational disease that entitles sufferers to labor insurance compensation.

According to a proclamation published Friday by the CLA, employees who develop schizophrenia, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder are eligible to apply for compensation under the new regulation.

However, such workers are required to provide medical proof that the conditions have been caused by work-related stress, the CLA stated.

The assessments must be carried out by three physicians, including a psychiatrist and an occupational health physician, the CLA said. (By Chen Shun-hsieh and Y.F. Low)

Number of Chinese stowaways falls to 10-year low
Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The number of Chinese stowaways detained in Taiwan has dropped to 45, the lowest number in the past decade, officials of the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said Friday.

The decline proves that the agreement signed between Taiwan and China in April 26 to jointly crack down on crime and to offer mutual legal assistance has been effective, the officials said.

The NIA's detention centers in Yilan, Hsinchu and Nantou once held thousands of stowaways from China, but the number has been falling over the past few years.

The NIA attributed the drop in numbers to Taiwan's expansion of its policy on Chinese tourists, saying that Chinese citizens wishing to enter Taiwan no longer have to risk their lives on fishing boats across the Taiwan Strait.

Now they can apply for a tourist entry permit for Taiwan, NIA officials said, adding that the agency has put in place measures to prevent Chinese tourists in Taiwan from absconding.

The NIA said it shipped 35 Chinese stowaways -- 22 males and 13 females -- back to the China mainland Friday aboard the "Hai Hsia."

The remaining 45 detainees cannot yet be repatriated because they are all involved in judicial cases that are still pending, the NIA said. (By Lin Shen-hsu & Elizabeth Hsu)

DOH plans compulsory community treatment for mentally ill patients
Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The Department of Health (DOH) unveiled Saturday a plan that would make it compulsory for mental patients to receive treatment at the community level for their illnesses.

If the plan is implemented, Taiwan will become the first country in Asia to introduce such a program.

The DOH is planning to launch the program in one or two counties or cities on a trial basis next year and will evaluate the response of patients and their families before expanding the program to the rest of the country, said Shih Chung-liang, head of the DOH's Bureau of Medical Affairs.

Shih said there are approximately 100,000 people in the country who have been issued severe mental illness certificates by the government, 9,000 of whom are in unstable condition and require follow-up treatment.

The compulsory community therapy will target patients who do not meet the criteria for compulsory hospitalization and do not take their medications as required, Shih said.

Chen Cheng-chung, president of the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry, pointed out that mentally ill patients first have to be screened by a review committee before they can be recommended for compulsory hospitalization, and that at present, 10 percent to 15 percent of the cases screened are not recommended.

When these patients are allowed to return to their communities, their families very often have no idea how to care for them, Chen said. Some patients do not take their medications as prescribed by their doctors, which leads to escalation of their condition, he said.

Under the compulsory community treatment program, patients may be required to report to a rehabilitation center every day or to receive home visits by their case managers every week, for medication and follow-up treatment, according to Chen.

To prevent dangerous behaviors among mentally ill patients, family members and community leaders should report cases of mental illness to health authorities so that experts could determine whether the patients require compulsory hospitalization or compulsory community treatment, he urged. (By Chen Li-ting and Y.F. Low)

Two judges' sympathy for elderly prostitutes leads to law revision
Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) For years, prostitutes caught in police raids in Taiwan were punished under the law, while their clients walked free. However, this law was challenged as "unfair" by two judges in a recent case involving two elderly prostitutes, and the justices' petition for a judicial review has led to an upcoming change in the rules.

The Constitutional Court decided Friday that the relevant article in the Social Order Maintenance Act violates the principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution, and that new regulations should be worked out by the administration and the legislature.

As amendment of the regulations and penalties pertaining to prostitution requires administrative and legislative review and planning, the Constitutional Court ruled that the existing law will be retained for two more years until Nov. 5, 2011.

Meanwhile, the judges suggested that the police and judicial authorities show "leniency" when dealing with the punishment of prostitutes, whom they described as socially disadvantaged individuals.

Under the existing act, law enforcement authorities may detain a prostitute for a maximum of three days or impose a fine of up to NT$30,000. Prostitutes could also be sent to reform institutions for a period of six months to a year, under the law.

According to the two Yilan District Court judges, Lin Chun-ting and Yang Kun-chiao, over the years they have encountered many cases of elderly prostitutes earning a mere NT$300 for each transaction, and in those cases prostitution was not really a choice but rather the only way to earn a living.

Out of pity for such prostitutes who face legal penalties, the two judges took the issue to the Constitutional Court, questioning the fairness of the law that absolves the clients of prostitutes.

The Constitutional Court's decision may give momentum to Taiwan's gender equality groups that have been calling for prostitution to be decriminalized.

When the decriminalization proposal was raised by Kuomintang Legislator Cheng Li-wen at the Legislative Yuan in mid June, some lawmakers suggested setting up special sex-industry zones, similar to the red-light districts in Amsterdam and Hamburg. However, most other legislators expressed reservations about the suggestion.

(By Lin Shen-hsu and Lillian Lin)

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Local, foreign experts discuss cultural preservation
Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) An international conference and youth forum on the preservation of cultural assets opened in Kaohsiung County Saturday, with experts, scholars and students from Japan, China, Italy, Hungary, Australia and Taiwan attending.

The participants in the three-day conference and forum will share their knowledge and experience in cultural preservation and give details of the efforts in their respective countries to protect their cultural assets, said Hsu Yu-jen, a Council of Agriculture (COA) official responsible for preparations to establish a national cultural assets management agency in Taiwan.

The annual forum, organized by the CCA, is in its 12th year. (By Chen Shou-gow & Elizabeth Hsu)

League releases ranking on care for the disabled
With the year-end local elections less than a month away, the League of Welfare Organizations for the Disabled yesterday released a report ranking 25 cities and counties based on their welfare policy and infrastructure for the physically and mentally challenged.

“We're happy to announce that Taipei City, Kaohsiung City and Kinmen County ranked among the top in terms of welfare policy and facilities for the disabled, especially as Kinmen is a remote island county but was able to replace resource-rich Taipei County in third place,” league secretary-general Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲) told a news conference at the legislature. “It's also good news that many cities have made big progress compared with 2006.”

The league said it used 2006 figures for comparison because current government chiefs took office in December 2005 and will leave office or run for re-election next month.

The evaluation included local government policies and efforts to promote special education, employment, community service, as well as accessibility in public places for the mentally and physically challenged.

Among the cities and counties that have made the most progress, Chiayi City moved up 11 places, Taichung City and Tainan City moved up six places, while Pingtung County jumped five places.

“I'm especially glad that Pingtung County has moved from last place in 2006 to 19th this year,” Wang said.

However, the report also showed that Taipei, Yilan, Miaoli, Tainan, Taitung counties and Hsinchu City fared worse than three years ago.

Tainan County showed the largest decline, sliding 10 places from 12th in 2006 to 22nd this year. Taitung and Yilan counties followed, with each falling eight places, while Miaoli County and Hsinchu City each dropped seven places.

“I'm especially shocked at the fall in Hsinchu City's ranking because it's one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is often called a 'welfare city,'” Wang said.

She said politicians should bear in mind that more than 1 million eligible voters in the country are physically or mentally challenged.

“These disabled voters and their families making up a large proportion of the electorate that should not be overlooked,” Wang said.

Wang Shan (王珊), the league's chairwoman, said welfare policy for the disabled was not just about getting votes, but also served as an index on a nation's human rights conditions.

“How much the government pays attention to the needs of the challenged shows how civilized the country is,” Wang Shan said. “A government must be able to feel the pain and suffering of its people.”

Changhua residents, activists protest science park plan
Dozens of Changhua County residents gathered yesterday at the Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) to protest the government's plan to build a science park in the county's Erlin (二林) Township.

The project to build a Central Taiwan Science Park in Erlin recently passed the fourth phase of environmental inspection by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) panel.

Once the project completes a final round of assessment at the CPA, construction will start in Erlin, located in central Taiwan between Yunlin County and the Jhuoshuei River (濁水溪), one of the few remaining coastal areas in western Taiwan that have not been affected by industrialization.

The protesters, mostly workers in the fishing and farming industries, shouted that the “government has forgotten the farmers and fishermen.”

One of the protesters, surnamed Lin (林), said the residents felt helpless because they knew the government would not listen to their needs and that construction could begin in two weeks' time.

Over the past few months, the plan to introduce industries like optoelectronics and semiconductors in the park has run into strong opposition from the Yunlin and Changhua county governments, local residents, environmentalists and some EIA panelists.

Opponents say plans to discharge treated wastewater from the park into Jhuoshuei River would contaminate nearby farmland.

They also said the proposal's huge water demands could exacerbate severe subsidence problems in Erlin, which is already sinking by 8.4cm per year, the worst rate of subsidence in the nation.

‘Windshield Wipers’ guesthouse turns out to be shack
Banciao district prosecutors yesterday denied media reports that the “Windshield Wipers” gang had set up a guest house in Kaohsiung for professional baseball players in exchange for throwing games.

Prosecutors said they have investigated reports that the gang had set up a guesthouse especially for its members to host parties for Chinese Professional Baseball League players.

“Our investigations show that the so-called guesthouse Tsai Cheng-yi (蔡政宜) [the alleged head of the Windshield Wipers gang] set up is in fact a shack made from sheet metal,” said Cheng Hsin-hung (鄭鑫宏), a spokesman for the Banciao District Prosecutors’ Office.

Although the shack is a gathering place for Tsai and his associates, it was not used to host events for the baseball players, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors are investigating claims that Tsai and his associates established a syndicate that placed bets on professional baseball games and recruited players to manipulate the outcome of games.

Banciao prosecutors yesterday questioned several alleged members of the gang, including Tsai and Yu Tse-bin (余則彬), both of whom are currently in detention. Yu is thought to hold key information that could help prosecutors further their game-fixing investigation.

Prosecutors yesterday also detained and questioned a man surnamed Chen (陳) suspected of being connected with the gang.

Since the investigation began, prosecutors have listed 12 members of the Brother Elephants as defendants on suspicion of game-fixing, including Elephants coach Shim Nakagomi, who was released on NT$80,000 bail on Tuesday.

This is the fifth time in 20 years that professional baseball players in Taiwan have been investigated for throwing games. The latest probe began last week after the Elephants lost 5-2 to the Uni-­President Lions in the Taiwan Series championship.

More than 190 aftershocks follow strong quake
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) More than 190 aftershocks had been recorded as of early Friday since an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale hit central Taiwan a day earlier, seismologists said that day.

Fourteen of the aftershocks reached magnitude 3 or stronger, but most of the others were undetectable to humans, according to Kuo Kai-wen, director of the Seismological Center under the Central Weather Bureau.

More aftershocks, some of which might reach magnitude 5, are expected to follow in the coming two weeks, Kuo went on. He urged the public not to panic over the situation, which he described as a natural release of energy.

The earthquake, which had its epicenter in Mingchien township, Nantou County at a depth of 19.3 k.m., was the strongest tremor in terms of intensity to hit Taiwan since the devastating magnitude-7.3 earthquake of Sept. 21, 1999.

No major damage was reported.

Meanwhile that day, a magnitude-4.4 earthquake struck at 3: 25 a.m. in the eastern county of Hualien, seismologists said.

The quake, which was centered 2.4 km northwest of Hualien City at a depth of 6.5 km, was unrelated to the ones in Nantou, they said.

There were no reports of casualties or damage. (By Y.F. Low)

Swine flu in Taitung pigs might not have been passed from humans
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Pigs on a Taitung farm that recently tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) or swine flu might not have contracted the virus from humans as had been earlier speculated, Taitung health authorities said Friday.

The results of tests on the farm's six workers show that none were infected, according to Lu Chiao-yang, director-general of the county's Public Health Bureau.

This means that the virus could have been transmitted to the animals by other agents, including birds, Lu said.

Chen Chih-feng, head of the Taitung County Livestock Disease Control Center, said further investigation will be conducted to trace the origin of the virus.

The center conducted the tests on pigs Oct. 27 after being informed that about 160 out of some 3,000 animals raised on the farm in the county's Guanshan area had begun showing symptoms of cough, running nose and diarrhea from about 10 days earlier.

The Centers for Disease Control said Thursday that the test results show that the virus found in the hogs was the same as the new H1N1 strain that affects humans.

As the animals were bred and raised on the farm and had never left the place since they were born, it sparked immediate speculation that the virus could have been passed from an infected person to a pig before spreading throughout the herd. (By Tyson Lu and Y.F. Low)

International students speak of life in Taiwan
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) A special scholarship program is giving 16 high school students from abroad an inside look at Taiwan, and one student from France admitted Friday that she likes Taiwan's night markets and that oyster omelettes are her favorite local food.

Coline Poissonnier is studying as a sophomore at National Taichung Girls' High School in the central Taiwan city. Like 15 other students from the Unites States, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and Sweden, she is in Taiwan as the recipient of a scholarship offered by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Those in the scholarship program are entitled to study at a high school or vocational school in Taiwan for one year, during which they live with a Taiwanese family, according to the MOE.

Poissonnier, who had taken Chinese before arriving in Taiwan, said she came here after being told that Taiwan is a fun place.

After spending over two months here, she can already have simple conversations in Mandarin with local residents. Her favorite natural site so far is Sun Moon Lake, and after visiting some night markets, she says she's taken to oyster omelettes but finds stinky tofu awful.

Morgane Bouillot, also from France, said her most unforgettable experience in Taiwan to date is shooting off fireworks and joining a BBQ contest. Bouillot is enrolled in Tainan Girls' Senior High School in southern Taiwan.

The 16 international students attended a welcome tea party organized by the MOE in Taichung City Friday to promote contacts with the representatives of their countries' liaison offices in Taiwan and share their experiences in Taiwan with each other.

The event also aimed at introducing the scholarship program and Taiwan's efforts to globalize its senior high schools, MOE officials said.

The MOE hopes that the countries from which the students originate provide similar scholarships to Taiwanese students to boost bilateral cultural exchanges, the officials added.

The scholarship program was created in 2007 and first implemented the following year. (By Hao Hsueh-chin & Elizabeth Hsu)

H1N1 virus in Taitung pigs is from humans: COA
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) The Council of Agriculture (COA) rejected a claim Friday that the influenza A (H1N1) virus recently detected among pigs in the eastern county of Taitung might not have been transmitted from humans.

Hsu Tien-lai, director-general of the COA's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, said humans remain the most probable source of the infection because the new flu strain had only existed in humans prior to now.

The infection was discovered among a herd of 160 pigs raised on a farm in Taitung County's Guanshan area after the animals came down with coughs, runny noses and diarrhea.

As the animals were bred and raised on the farm and had never left it since being born, it sparked immediate speculation that the virus could have been passed from an infected worker on the farm to a pig before spreading through the herd.

The county's Public Health Bureau announced Friday, however, that the farm's six workers had all tested negative for the virus.

Based on the results, the bureau's director-general Lu Chiao-yang said the virus could have been transmitted to the animals by other agents, including birds.

But Hsu disagreed, arguing that just because the workers tested negative for the virus did not mean they had never been infected.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will conduct more sophisticated tests on the workers' specimens, and the results will be available in two to three days, Lu said.

Meanwhile, CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw said a "human-to-pig" transmission is the most probable scenario in this case, although the transmission might not have been through direct contact.

The pigs could have been infected by eating food that was contaminated with the secretion of an infected patient, Chou said.

Since the H1N1 outbreak began earlier this year, there have been reports of the infection in pigs, cats, turkeys and martens, and the means of transmission were either from humans to animals or between animals of the same species, he said.

The virus has not mutated, and there have not been any incidents in which pigs contracted the virus from birds, he said. (By Tang Pei-chun, Chen Chin-fang and Y.F. Low)

24 members of fraud ring arrested in Taiwan, China
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Twenty-four members of a fraud ring -- 17 in Taiwan and seven in China -- have been arrested by police on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait through a joint cross-border crackdown, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced Friday.

Based on a judicial assistance accord inked by Taiwan and China in April, police authorities of Taiwan and China jointly busted the ring again Thursday after investigating it for several months, CIB officers said.

The 24 suspects were members of a crime ring that had been previously raided by Taiwanese police in February. It followed a recent breakthrough in a similar but unrelated case that was made for the first time through cooperative efforts with Chinese law enforcement authorities in September, CIB officers noted.

Seventeen people were detained Thursday separately by CIB agents and policemen in the Taipei, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua and Kaohsiung areas in a concerted move, while seven other accomplices were arrested in China by local police authorities there.

The 17 suspects were handed over to the Taichung Prosecutors Office on Friday for further investigation. Among them were two married couples, who were also accused of smuggling Chinese women into Taiwan to cooperate with their gang, as the fraud ring deceived both Taiwanese and Chinese nationals.

Taiwan police also seized cash, manuals, computers, cell phone Sim cards, IP sharing routers and victim lists during their raids.

Aside from going after victims in Taiwan, the ring also used its members to swindle money in China's Fujian, Zhejian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Liaoning provinces, Taiwan police said.

In September, more than 40 fraud ring members -- 23 in Taiwan and over 10 in China -- were caught in a joint operation by police in Taiwan and Sichuan province.

That group's mastermind, a Taiwanese national surnamed Chuang, had hidden himself in China and led other ring members to swindle money from Taiwan and Chinese residents posing as prosecutors, judges or investigators.

Since the cross-strait judicial cooperation was clinched in April, Taiwanese scam groups have increasingly moved their operating hubs from China to Southeast Asian countries and mainly target Chinese citizens, as Taiwanese have become wiser to such scams.

Some of these con artists have been extradited back to Taiwan from China or other countries in Southeast Asia. (By S.H. Lin and Flor Wang)

Teachers involved in sexual offenses to be kept off campuses
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) A loophole in a current law that allows teachers implicated in sexual offenses to continue teaching in schools was plugged after amendment to the Teachers' Act cleared the Legislative Yuan Friday.

The addition to Article 14 of the Act stipulates that if the school's gender equity education committee, comprised of experts and school representatives, finds a teacher guilty as accused of a sexual offense, the school's screening committee will have to follow its will and fire the teacher.

At present, screening committees, which are usually composed of other teachers or administrators, sometimes are loathe to act against one of their own and through indecision or inaction allow teachers found guilty by the gender equity education committee to continue teaching, even for years.

That practice has resulted in accused teachers repeating their acts.

Article 14 of the Teachers' Act, which covers actions for which teachers can have their contracts rescinded, has a clause that censures "conduct unbecoming of a teacher, " but it was too vague in practice to ensure that teachers implicated in sexual offenses were kept out of the classroom.

Friday's amendment also requires the school to have the teachers' screening committee suspend the suspect within one month upon learning of the allegations so that the gender equity education committee can investigate the case.

Legislator Chao Li-yun of the ruling Kuomintang said she was glad the law was amended, which, together with other attached resolutions, will virtually "keep problematic teachers at bay."

Lawmakers attached four resolutions to the amendment that were directed at accelerating the pace of the investigations conducted by schools and improving their quality.

One asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) to revise the law to shorten the two-month period allowed to probe teachers implicated in sexual offenses to one month if possible.

Another resolution said that if schools attempt to keep the matter under wraps, related staff will be disciplined with at least a major demerit. Educational administrators or teachers are usually booted from their jobs if they get three major demerits.

The third resolution asked the MOE to invite judicial personnel to take part in cultivating investigative talent and helping schools conduct efficient investigations.

The last resolution suggested that schools, while conducting the probe, should invite social workers or police personnel to help and stipulated that those invited are not allowed to refuse.

(By Kelvin Huang and Lilian Wu)

First case of swine flu confirmed in Taitung hogs


Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) Hogs in Taitung have tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1) virus -- the first time pigs have been diagnosed with this strain of flu in Taiwan, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Steve H.S. Kuo confirmed Thursday.

Kuo said the virus, also known as swine flu, was found in three animals being raised on a farm in the southeastern county of Taitung after they were destroyed.

The Taitung County Livestock Disease Control Center began conducting tests on pigs Oct. 27 after being informed that about 160 out of some 3,000 animals raised on the farm had begun showing symptoms of cough, running nose and diarrhea from about 10 days earlier.

The virus was confirmed to be the same as the new H1N1 strain that affects humans, according to Kuo.

The livestock disease control center immediately took measures to contain the spread of the virus and began an investigation into the health of workers on the farm to establish the origin of the virus, Kuo said.

Meanwhile, Huang Jin-cheng, chief of the Animal Health Research Institute under the Council of Agriculture, said at a press conference that according to initial checks, the virus is believed to have passed from an infected person to a pig, then spread throughout the pig herd.

Huang noted that as the swine flu virus is not transmitted by food, people will not get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe, he stressed.

To date, pig herds in Canada, Argentina, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Norway, Japan and Iceland have also reported the presence of swine flu, according to Huang.

Hsu Tien-lai, director of the COA's Department of Animal Industry, also said the infected pigs will not be given medication because they will normally recover from the flu in three to seven days.

So far, there has been no evidence that the animals will transmit swine flu to humans and there has been no mutation of the virus, Hsu added.

The infections have put pig farmers on high alert and an emergency mechanism has been launched to intensify prevention measures. Most of Taiwan's pig farms are located in central and southern Taiwan, including Yunlin County, where some 1.45 million pigs are raised, Tainan County with 790,000 head and Kaohsiung County with 400,000 head. (By Tyson Lu, Lin Su-yuan and Y.L. Kao)

Prosecutors confirm freezing of assets of former president
Prosecutors in charge of investigating former president Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) alleged corruption and money-laundering activities yesterday confirmed they had frozen the bank accounts, stock holdings and real estate holdings of several members of Chen's family.

Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南), spokesperson for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Special Investigation Panel (SIP) which is in charge of investigating the cases, said that the SIP had sent official notices to banks, securities companies and government land offices on Oct. 23 requesting that they freeze those assets so that if members of the former first family were found guilty, the illegal profits could be returned.

The frozen assets include NT$8 million (US$250,000) in a savings account held by former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍); NT$18 million in a savings account held by Wu's brother Wu Ching-mao (吳景茂); NT$10.3 million in savings held by Chen Shui-bian’s son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中); stock holdings with an estimated market value of NT$24 million held by Chen Chih-chung; NT$10.8 million in savings held by Chen Chih-chung’s wife Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚); and about NT$100 million in diamonds and other jewelry.

Because there is no evidence that Chen Shui-bian's daughter Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤) was involved in the alleged money-laundering activities, her assets had not been frozen, Chen Yun-nan said.

The SIP has also left several bank accounts active, including one the holds Chen Shui-bian's salary as a former president, to provide the former first family with enough money to cover daily expenses, Chen Yun-nan said.

The amount of frozen assets in Taiwan totals about NT$500 million, while the amount of funds left active totals about NT$50 million, he said.

NCC rejects BCC’s request to split up
The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday rejected an application by the Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) to split into a radio station and an asset management company.

NCC spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉) said the company had yet to resolve an administrative lawsuit that had been brought by the Executive Yuan as well as legal disputes with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) over BCC’s property holdings.

“Since the company remains entangled in so many unresolved lawsuits, the commission decided not to grant approval to the company’s application,” Chen said.

During its review of the application, the commission invited BCC chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) to explain why the company needed to establish a property management firm, Chen said.

“He [Jaw] said the company’s strength lay in its radio broadcast capabilities and that it did not have much experience handling property assets,” Chen said. “But the company had acquired so much real estate over the years that a need arose for a land management firm.”

The NCC said the Government Information Office (GIO) issued an administrative ruling in 2004 regarding some of BCC’s properties that were allegedly owned by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

One of the conditional clauses in the ruling was that BCC could not dispose of its properties before its lawsuits with the MOTC had been settled.

After the NCC was established in 2006, it annulled the clause, ruling that while the GIO had been entitled to launch an investigation into BCC’s properties to determine if some were in fact owned by the KMT, the GIO was not justified in ordering BCC to freeze all of its accounts and properties.

The NCC’s ruling was annulled by the Executive Yuan in 2007. Meanwhile, BCC disagreed with the Executive Yuan’s ruling in 2007 and filed an administrative appeal to the Executive Yuan, which dismissed the appeal. BCC then filed an administrative lawsuit at the Taipei High Administrative Court, which has not yet ruled on the case.

Huang Chin-yi (黃金益), deputy director of the NCC’s operational administration department, said that both the administrative lawsuit and the property lawsuits had to be settled before the commission could review BCC’s division application.

“The commission asked BCC to meet several requirements before it conditionally approved the transfer of BCC’s shares to Jaw two years ago, including having its shares traded in public within two years,” Huang said. “The company remains unable to meet this criterion because it is involved in so many lawsuits.”

Huang said that although BCC’s administrative lawsuit with the Executive Yuan seemed more crucial, the unresolved property lawsuits with the MOTC might still prevent it from meeting the NCC’s requirements.

Prosecutors shift probe to alleged gang ‘accountant’
Prosecutors yesterday questioned the alleged accountant of the “Windshield Wipers” gang that is suspected of bribing professional baseball players in a game-fixing scandal.

The “accountant,” Huang Jen-yi (黃仁義), was questioned by prosecutors yesterday about the gang’s relations with professional baseball players.

Prosecutors said they believe questioning Huang and other alleged gang members will help them discover which players were approached to become involved in the game-fixing, as well as how much they were paid and whether compensation took the form of money, gifts or drinking parties with female escorts.

The head of the “Windshield Wipers,” Tsai Cheng-yi (蔡政宜), and his associates are suspected of establishing a gambling ring that placed bets on professional baseball games and recruited professional players to play poorly to manipulate the outcome of games.

Aside from Huang, prosecutors yesterday questioned former La New Bears pitcher Huang Chun-chung (黃俊中). He has been detained and listed as a defendant in the case on suspicion he acted as a middleman between the gang and baseball players.

Since the investigation began, prosecutors have listed 12 members of the Brother Elephants as defendants on suspicion of game-fixing, including Elephants coach Shim Nakagomi, who was released on bail of NT$80,000 on Tuesday.

He had been apprehended at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Monday as he prepared to take a flight back to his native Japan.

This is the fifth time in 20 years that professional baseball players in Taiwan have been investigated for throwing games. The latest probe began last week after the Elephants lost 5-2 to the Uni-­President Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) championship.

Activists call for release of Falun Gong practitioners
A number of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, human rights activists and family members of two Falun Gong practitioners yesterday urged China to release the pair ahead of the fourth round of cross-strait talks.

At a press conference at the legislature, DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said the two practitioners — 63-year-old Li Yaohua (李燿華) and her daughter Zhang Yibo (張軼博) — were arrested by police at their residence in Shanghai without any warrant in the middle of the night on June 4 because they distributed 30 Falun Gong flyers to their neighbors’ mailboxes.

Tien said Li, a Hong Kong citizen whose father is a Taiwanese national, and Zhang, a Chinese national, had been detained for more than five months without bail even though Li had been suffering from a chronic illness.

Li’s son Zhang Yi-yuan (張軼淵) said government agencies in Taiwan, including the Ministry of Justice and the Mainland Affairs Council, had sent letters to their Chinese counterparts urging the Chinese authorities to allow family members to visit Li and Zhang Yibo, but to no avail.

DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said China should show its “sincerity” ahead of upcoming cross-strait negotiations by releasing Li and her daughter.

Taiwan should also seek help from international human rights organizations to rescue the pair, Pan said.

Pan said the DPP is also considering launching a legislative proposal to ban Chinese officials suspected of having persecuted Falun Gong practitioners from entering Taiwan.

Former chairman of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights Kenneth Chiu (邱晃泉), who also attended the conference, urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to take action to rescue Li and Zhang Yibo.

“If Ma dares not say a word in the face of China, his promise to promote the nation’s human rights will be nothing but a lie,” Chiu said.

Chiu also urged the government to pursue a cross-strait human rights cooperation framework agreement before signing an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China.

“Only when both sides guarantee the protection of human rights can cross-strait economic cooperation be possible,” Chiu said.

Typhoon turns Jiaming Lake into wild animal safe haven once again
The area adjacent to Jiaming Lake in eastern Taiwan has once again emerged as a paradise for wild animals three months after Typhoon Morakot damaged hiking trails to the scenic mountain lake, forest rangers said yesterday.

Extremely torrential rains brought by Typhoon Morakot triggered landslides in many of Taiwan's mountain regions, including the Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area in Yushan National Park where the high-altitude Jiaming Lake is situated.

"With historical hiking trails leading to Siangyang and Jiaming Lake seriously damaged, hikers disappeared, allowing many endemic animal species to reclaim their lost territory," said Huang Chun-tse, a section chief at the Taitung branch office of the Forest Bureau under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture.

While examining typhoon damage along a major hiking trail, Huang said he was amazed to spot several Formosan salamanders - a top-grade protected species endemic to Taiwan that lives at elevations of above 2,000m - in the Siangyang refuge cottage.

Walking deeper into the mountain, Huang said he and his colleagues were in for even more surprises.

"We came across many other protected animal species which have not been seen in the region since Jiaming Lake became a new popular hiking spot, " Huang said.

Among the species spotted were Formosan yellow throated martens, Formosan field mice and Formosan sambar deer.

Lin Ming-chuang, a forest ranger at the Siangyang work station, said the Siangyang-Jiaming area became inaccessible to hikers after Typhoon Morakot, allowing wild animals to return to their previous habitats.

"Hiking trails have again become paths dominated by wild animals, " he said. "Without human interference, many Sambar deer now often loiter in the Siangyang Forest Recreation Area at night and yellow throated martens also like to stroll along Siangyang-Jiaming hiking trails."

The absence of thousands of hikers that used to visit the area every weekend in previous years has helped restore the surrounding environment to a more pristine state, Lee observed.

Asia-wide network to be formed to protect endangered animals
Kaohsiung, Nov. 5 (CNA) Wild animal rescue organizations in major East Asian and Southeast Asian countries will jointly form a network to better protect endangered fauna species, academic sources said Thursday.

"The decision was reached at a meeting held Wednesday at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) , " said Pei Jai-chyi, director of the university's Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals.

Representatives of 18 endangered animal rescue organizations and shelter centers in Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, South Korea, Britain and Hong Kong have been attending the meeting at the NPUST, which began Monday.

"As East Asian and Southeast Asian countries have been a hub for the illegal export of wild animals, participants in the meeting unanimously agreed to pool their resources to more effectively rescue endangered animal species and stamp out illegal trade in the region," Pei said.

In addition to naming the NPUST in the southern Taiwan county of Pingtung as the chief organizer, Pei said, the participants also decided that an inaugural conference will be held at Vietnam's Cuc Phuong National Park in northern Vietnam next November, and that all the organizations represented at the ongoing meeting will serve as founding members of the Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN).

"It will be a belated move, as the proposal to establish an Asian regional wild animal rescue network was first broached 12 years ago," Pei explained.

The proposed WARN network will provide a platform for information and technology exchanges among member organizations for the rescue of endangered fauna species, Pei said. The network will also step up publicity in order to push governments in the region to allocate more resources to wildlife protection, he added.

Ultimately, Pei said, the WARN will collaborate with its counterparts in Latin America and Africa to rescue and protect endangered animal species.

The participants visited Kaohsiung County's Maolin township Thursday to see for themselves the damage to the region wrought by Typhoon Morakot in early August. They will travel to Nantou County in central Taiwan Friday to visit several facilities that were rebuilt after a devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan Sept. 21, 1999.

A closing ceremony for the meeting will be held at the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute in Nantou's Jiji township. (By Kuo Chi-hsuan and Sofia Wu)

Strong earthquake jolts Taiwan
Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) A strong 7 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan Thursday, with residents across the country feeling the trembler, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

The quake occurred at 5: 32 p.m., with its epicenter in central Taiwan's Nantou County, the bureau said. (By Flor Wang)

Law revision aims to remove obligatory support of abusive parents
Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) The Executive Yuan on Thursday approved a draft amendment that would nullify the obligation of adult children to support parents who have abused them.

The existing Civil Law stipulates that lineal blood relatives have a mutual obligation to take care of one another.

Under the draft amendment, adult children can ask the court to lessen their responsibility for the care of parents who have abused them, their spouses or linear blood relatives. Depending on the magnitude of the abuse, a request could be made for such children to be totally freed of the responsibility.

The requests can also be made to the court in cases where the parents failed to adequately support their children and can show no good reason for not meeting their obligations, according to the draft revision.

In cases where parents attempted to kill their children, sexually assaulted or abused, or failed to maintain them for more than two years, the children would be absolved of any penalty for abandoning the parents.

Premier Wu Den-yih said the existing laws that entitle parents in all of the above categories to sue their adult children for abandonment or lack of support is unfair to the children.

The amendments are meant to redefine the obligations between parents and children, Wu added.

(By Lee Ming-chung and Y.L. Kao)

Group calls for better welfare for the disabled
Taipei, Nov. 5 (CNA) The Republic of China League of Welfare Organizations for the Disabled on Thursday called for candidates for mayoral and county chief positions in the upcoming elections to pay closer attention to the welfare of people with disabilities.

About 5 percent of Taiwan's population, or 1.05 million people, are physically or mentally challenged, representing one out of every 23 people in the country, a league spokeswoman quoted the Ministry of the Interior statistics as indicating.

In a welfare appraisal of all cities and counties around the country, the league found that people with disabilities are treated best in Taipei City, Kaohsiung City and Kinmen Island, according to Wang You-ling, secretary-general of the league.

The findings were made based on the budgets each city reserves for providing services to the disabled and the number of disabled people in each city or county as of June this year.

The league made its appraisal by using criteria including the budget for and content of special education programs, funding for facilitating employment for the disabled, community services and whether the cities have a barrier-free environment for the disabled, Wang said.

Kinmen Island moved up to the third place in the disabled people's welfare appraisal. The outlying island has a relatively small disabled population, but has a relatively big budget for their welfare, thanks to the financial aid contributed by Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc., the cash cow of the county, Wang said.

Yunlin, Changhua and Taitung counties were ranked around the bottom of the appraisal list, she said.

Financial gaps between cities and counties directly resulted in welfare gaps, but cities and counties where finances are better, do not necessarily provide better welfare to the disabled, the study found.

Of all the cities and counties appraised, Chiayi City, Taichung City and Tainan City posted big improvements in terms of increasing welfare for the disabled over the past year, but Tainan County, Taitung County, Yilan County, Miaoli County and Hsinchu County had all regressed.

Surprisingly, Wang said, Hsinchu City, which has long been praised as a "city of welfare, " had one of the worst records in the special education and barrier-free environment criteria.

The outlying island of Matsu had the best performance in terms of teacher/student ratio among all appraised administrative districts, with a ratio of 1-4, compared to 1-14 in Hsinchu City, the worst in this category, Wang noted. (By Hsu Jui-ting and Deborah Kuo)

For one bridal photographer, the job is more than taking pictures
o 13 By Stephanie Low CNA staff writer

Hsu Lien-chun is a bridal photographer with an almost missionary zeal, as committed to ensuring the happy futures of his clients as he is to doing his job well.

Now married for 13 years after having put his marriage at risk because of his own infidelity, Hsu actively tries to promote happy marriages by urging the couples he photographs to receive pre-marital counseling.

"It's important for couples, before tying the knot, to prepare for problems that are likely to arise in a marriage and make sure they can overcome them responsibly, " said the 38-year-old Hsu.

The photographer developed his novel approach five years ago when, while shooting bridal photos for a couple, he suddenly felt at a loss as to how to carry on with his job.

He tried chatting with the couple about how they met, their expectations for marriage, and their opinions about life, and found that this helped him capture better images.

Now, before every shooting session, Hsu requests every client to fill out a form and provide information such as their most unforgettable experience, their most touching stories, their favorite environment, the scenes they desire the most, praise for themselves or their partners, and the purposes and expectations of taking the photos.

The process, which can take one to two hours, is like having the clients conduct a truthful review of their lives.

Couples sometimes differ over their answers, but Hsu believes helping them discover their differences before getting married is helpful to enhancing their understanding of each other.

"It's important for people to be honest with themselves before they can be serious about marriage," he explains.

Many marriage experts share Hsu's views.

Jade Wu, founder of the Dorcas Family Ministry, a Christian civic organization providing marriage counseling, said in a modern society in which many people accept divorce as a solution to marriage problems, couples need to be reminded to deal with marriage realistically, especially before being led to the altar.

"Marriages are very complicated. Chemistry alone is not enough to make them last," Wu said.

Among all issues, she observed, miscommunication has been the most common cause of conflict in marriages.

Hsu has observed that couples tend to become uneasy and sensitive immediately before getting married. Throughout his career as a bridal photographer, he has encountered many couples who fought over wedding details, leading even some of them to impulsively demand that the wedding be called off.

This gave rise to his idea to promote pre-marriage education -- which is common Christian practice -- among non-Christian couples to accompany them through the difficult period and help them better prepare for married life.

He once offered an NT$10,000 discount on his rates to encourage his clients to take part in the courses, in which couples are usually required look at issues such as each other's family background, expectations for marriage, financial plans and ways to deal with emotions.

The bid, however, was unsuccessful because most were frigthened by the idea of attending such courses.

Hsu, however, is prepared to continue the effort after finding a way to package the program and is planning to set up a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy marriages and reducing divorce, which he believes is often at the root of various social problems, such as children dropping out of school and single parenthood.

There is also a plan to provide free financial planning courses for couples, because indebtness can be one of the most destructive factors in marriages.

Many of Hsu's ideas have been drawn from his own life experience, including a riches to rags transformation and restoration of faith after converting to Christianity.

Entering the bridal photography business when he was 23, Hsu once owned two bridal shops during the sector's boom period in the 1990s.

His business, however, collapsed overnight when his second shop unexpectedly burned down in a fire.

Struggling to repay his debts, he worked as a photographer in various bridal shops, and it was during this time that he had an affair with a colleague.

One day, he heard a sermon on marriage and infidelity at a church service that resonated deeply with him. Determined to salvage his marriage, he confessed to his wife and begged her for forgiveness.

Having gone through a marriage crisis himself, Hsu has come to realize that the recipe for a happy marriage is for couples to always remember the sensations and feeling of love that they experienced when they first fell for each other.

And that is now one of the main pieces of advice he doles out to couples as he takes their pictures, hoping not only to help them preserve the memory of their wedding but also lay down the foundation for a happy future together. (With report by Amy Huang)

Chunan installs new dog shelter
A shelter for homeless dogs located in the north