Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) completed his "Betray Taiwan Tour" on Tuesday. As expected, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) and its supporters were at the CKS International Airport waiting to pelt him with eggs, but because police maintained strict order, the protests came to nothing. But make no mistake about it: Many Taiwanese are describing Lien's trip to China as a "Betray Taiwan Tour."

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By Joseph Kin Fun Kwok and Judy Wee
The Regional Conference on Barrier-free and Accessible Tourism organized by the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and sponsored by the Asian Pacific Disability Forum today and tomorrow in Taipei is a timely event to raise disability awareness in the fast growing tourism sector and to promote cross-sector partnerships and regional cooperation.

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By Chen Ching-chih 陳清池
Taiwan has never been a part of China, either historically or legally, since 1895 when the Manchu-led Qing empire ceded Taiwan to Japan. Imperial Japan ruled Taiwan as a colony until 1945 when the US-led alliance defeated Japan.

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Given China's growing military capability and North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Asia is a far less stable place than it was when Japan's Constitution was written. Fundamental changes need to be made
By Hideaki Kaneda
"Reform with no sacred cows" was Junichiro Koizumi's slogan when he became Japan's prime minister five years ago, and no cow here is more sacred than our "peace" Constitution. So it should be no surprise that, as Koizumi moves toward the end of his second and final term in office, his efforts to reform the Constitution to allow Japan more effectively to defend world peace are gathering pace.

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By Peter Berger
The election of Pope Benedict XVI and the global war on terror have brought unprecedented attention to the role of religion in our world. There has been particular interest (most specifically in the case of Islam) as to whether specific religious traditions are compatible with the institutions and values of liberal democracy. But focusing exclusively on what is believed and practiced overlooks a potentially far more important question: how religious precepts are believed and practiced.

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By Mark Caltonhill
In a radical move to outflank the government of Taiwan, CCP leaders sounded out the possibility of inviting figures from outside Taiwan's governing party for discussions on the unification of China and Taiwan. April 2005?

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By Jim Hale
China apparently believes in "panda diplomacy" -- the giving of bribes to influence the other side. Taiwan should use the same tactic.

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