■Education
Teacher reprimanded
A teacher at a Taipei elementary school has been punished by the school authorities after he ordered his students to swallow pieces of aluminum foil, officials said yesterday. The teacher, only identified by his surname Liu, has received a reprimand by the Nanhu elementary school, but angry parents of the students threatened to sue him. The event happened last week when the teacher found an empty milk packet which was thrown in the garbage can without being flattened as required by school rules. When none of the 35 students was willing to own up to dumping the carton, the irritated teacher cut the foil pack into pieces measuring about one square centimeter in size and ordered the students to swallow a piece.
■ Cross-strait ties
SEF had 58 case requests
The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has received requests to help solve 58 cases of Taiwan investors being detained or missing in China so far this year. Liao Yun-yuan (廖運源), director of SEF's department of economic and trade affairs, said yesterday that Taiwanese businessmen in China must pay special attention to their own safety whenever they leave their home or office, because there are dangers of being attacked or kidnapped by criminals, or illegally detained by police. He said that since 1991 the SEF has received requests to help solve 57 cases of murders; 73 cases of robbery, blackmail, and physical injury; 46 cases of kidnapping and illegal detention; 156 cases of detention due to suspected violation of law or regulations; and 97 cases of missing persons.
■ Diplomacy
French ties need boost
Chiou Jong-nan (邱榮男), new Taiwan representative to France, said on Sunday he is determined to further boost substantive Taiwan-French relations based on the principles of freedom, democracy and credibility. Chiou made the remarks at a cocktail reception organized by 10-plus overseas Chinese associations to welcome his return to Paris to serve as Taiwan's de facto ambassador to France in the absence of formal diplomatic ties. Chiou had been the Taiwan representative to France before he was appointed the nation's ambassador to Haiti in 1996. He returned to Taipei in 2000 to serve as vice minister of foreign affairs. "I'm pleased to be able to return to Paris to work after two years of service at home," Chiou told well-wishers. He said that although the current international situation is unfavorable for Taiwan's drive to cultivate diplomatic ties with other countries, there is still room for Taipei and Paris to expand their exchanges and cooperation.
■ Trade
EU to open offices
The EU will open trade offices in Taiwan before the end of January, Foreign Minister Eugene Chien (簡又新) said yesterday. "The European Union will open its trade office here around the end of January," he told a legislative session. Taiwan and the EU do not have diplomatic ties, but maintain close trade links. Taiwan is the EU's third-largest trading partner in Asia. Last year, the European Commission proposed opening a trade representative office ahead of Taiwan's admission to the WTO on Jan. 1. Speculation mounted that an Irish senior official with the European Commission is slated to serve as the EU's first trade representative to Taiwan when the office opens in Taipei next month. But Chien yesterday declined to comment on the nomination. He said this is a matter for the EU authority to announce.
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