■Cross-strait ties
Lu warns of China threat
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday that China poses a long-term potential threat to the world as it has continued its mili-tary build-up and refused to renounce the option of using force against Taiwan. Lu made the remarks while meeting with William Byrnes, vice chairman of the US-based Fidelity Invest-ment Co. Lu said she thinks that many people around the world feel uneasy at the moment with the specter of a US-led war against Iraq looming large. Lu said the world faces other problems, including North Korea's nuclear arms development and China's military threat to Taiwan. Lu said China has cultivated an image of helping maintain world peace, "But the reality is that it has covertly created many problems that threaten world peace."
■ Diplomacy
Wang tours Managua
Legislative Yuan president Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) arrived in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua on Sun-day for a three-day visit. Wang is heading a legislative delegation on a two-nation Latin American trip. He was to pay visits to President Enrique Bolanos, Vice President Jose Rizo, Foreign Minister Norman Jose Caldera and receive a medal from the National Assembly yesterday as well as tour cultural and handicraft establishments. Today he will visit Taiwanese com-panies operating in Nicara-gua. He leaves tomorrow for Paraguay, where where he will visit President Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi and other top officials.
■ Defense
Goose-stepping out of sync
The Ministry of National Defense said yesterday that it was considering scrapping the goose-step from its parades. The proposal comes after critics claimed training for the rigorous straight-legged march could be injurious to personnel. They also said it contributes little to the military's combat capabilities. A ministry spokesman said no decision had yet been made on the proposal. Opponents of change say the marching style is good for the morale of the military.
■ Public security
Police target counterfeiters
The value of counterfeit goods confiscated by law enforcement agencies hit a new high last year, reaching NT$10 billion (US$288 million), according to statistics compiled by the National Police Administra-tion. Agency officials said yesterday that the value of fake goods confiscated by police has increased signi-ficantly since the NPA set up ad hoc units in the north, center and south of the country in 2000. Last year, the police uncovered 5,118 cases of violation of intel-lectual property rights laws, detained 6,269 suspects and confiscated fake goods worth NT$10.01 billion.
■ Diplomacy
HK official shuns Ping Lu
The Hong Kong government secretary in charge of Tai-wan affairs said he has no immediate plans to meet with Ping Lu (平路), adding that lower-level officials can do it. Secretary for Consti-tutional Affairs Stephen Lam (林瑞麟) said Sunday that he has no "special plan" to meet with Ping Lu, who recently arrived in the territory to head up the Kwang Hwa Information and Cultural Center after an 11-month wait to get a visa. "Anything which needs to be dealt with, so far as liaison with Taiwanese organizations is concerned and so far as individual items of work are concerned, we already have colleagues to cover those aspects," Lam told reporters.
Agencies
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