■Defense
Price-cut on Kidds sought
The Legislative Yuan has demanded a 15 percent price cut for the navy's planned purchase of four Kidd-class destroyers from the US, it was reported yesterday. A team of naval officers was leaving for the US yesterday to discuss the discount the legislators demanded while approving the arms-purchase budget, a Chinese-language newspaper said. If successful, the "bargaining trip" could save the government up to NT$4.3 billion (US$124.28 million), it said. The navy declined to comment on the report.
■ Contraband
Chinese smugglers nabbed
A Chinese fishing boat disguised as a Taiwanese vessel was intercepted off the coast of Kaohsiung early yesterday while it was attempting to smuggle a large amount of contraband cigarettes to Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration patrol boat Hsun Hu No. 1 of spotted the suspicious-looking fishing boat, the Tai Fa Yu, off Kaohsiung Harbor in the early hours. When the patrol boat demanded the vessel stop, it fled. After a three-hour chase, the fishing boat was nabbed. Five Chinese crew members were arrested and 600 cartons of cigarettes were confiscated. The officers also found a wooden placard showing the boat was actually named the Yuehchaoyang 1110 written in simplified characters.
■ Diplomacy
Taiwan helps Italian charity
The ROC representative to the Vatican, R.M. Raymond Tai (戴瑞明), presided yesterday over a prize-giving ceremony for a two-day charity marathon held in the northern Italian city of Monteforte. The event, which was attended by around 18,000 people, was sponsored by the Camillians Longtung Branch in Ilan County to raise money for leprosy patients in China's Yunnan Province. Following the ceremony, Tai and his entourage paid a courtesy call on Monteforte's mayor and donated US$500 to the race organizers on behalf of the government. Camillians president Frank Monks expressed his gratitude for the donation.
■ Crime
Chunghwa director detained
Liang Lung-hsing (梁隆星), director of the telecom-munications research institute of Chunghwa Telecom Corp, was ordered held without bond yesterday after he was interrogated by officers of the Investigation Bureau. Liang was inter-rogated after prosecutors and officers of the bureau searched his house and office, bureau officials said. He was detained on charges of receiving kickbacks in connection with the institute's purchase of telecom-munications equipment by tender between November 2001 and August last year. During the interrogation, Liang denied any wrongdoing. Chunghwa Telecom issued a press release yesterday, saying its management did not believe that Liang had done anything wrong.
■ Trade
Minister calls for FTA
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (林義夫) called on Taiwanese businessmen in the US to promote the signing of a free-trade agreement (FTA) and business exchanges between the two countries. Lin made the appeal Saturday while delivering a speech economics and trade at a changeover ceremony for the newly elected chairman and outgoing chairman of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles. Lin, who arrived earlier that day, said he hopes that Taiwanese entrepreneurs in the US will lobby US congressmen to support an FTA with Taiwan.
Agencies
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