■ Public safety
Ma ups security in Taipei
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday ordered stepped-up security protec-tion for foreign nationals living in the city after the US-led war against Iraq got underway. The Taipei City Government has beefed up protection measures for members of the expatriate community and it will continue to provide any kind of assistance that foreign nationals may need, Ma said.
He added that the city government is also closely watching developments in the international situation and will cooperate with the central government to maintain the stability of daily commodity and related product prices. Ma said the city government had rein-forced security protection for foreign nationals after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US, with the stepped-up measures focusing on the community of US citizens and the Taipei American School (TAS). For example, he said, the city has kept the space and driveways in front of the TAS empty in a bid to prevent car-bomb attacks. Ma noted that people from more than 100 countries live in Taipei, but citizens of the US, the UK and the Middle East are receiving relatively greater attention from the city government.
■ Travel
Business as usual for visas
US visa applications are proceeding as usual and are not affected by the US strike on Iraq, sources at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said yesterday. As of Monday AIT began accepting appointments for visa applications in advance by telephone. Visa interviews went as scheduled yesterday, the sources said. The sources said that if there are any changes in visa applica-tions, a notice will be posted on AIT's Web site (www.ait.
org.tw) and the news media will be alerted immediately.
■ Legislature
DPP caucus backs aid to Iraq
The DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan will support the administration's stance of providing Iraq with post-war reconstruction funds, DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳奇邁) said yesterday. Chen, the DPP legislative whip, while noting that it is "regrettable" that the US-led war against Iraq could not be avoided through diplomacy, said the DPP legislative caucus will support the government's stance. Chen noted that the US is a major trading partner and has long been a friend to this country. He said the govern-ment supports the US actions against terrorism and the upholding of international order, adding that this is in the interests of both nations. Chen said that terrorist activities not only endanger US national security, but also affect global trade activities.
■ Cross-strait ties
MAC appeals to China
The Mainland Affairs Council asked Beijing yes-terday to cooperate with Taipei in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The council made the appeal after the US attacked Iraq. The council said in a news release that the government had continued taking concrete steps over the past two-and-a-half years to improve cross-strait relations. "We hope Chinese authorities can recognize our goodwill efforts and make a positive response," the statement said. The council said it wanted to renew its call to Beijing to work with Taiwan in keeping cross-strait harmony and stability to create a favorable environment for sustainable economic development and social stability on both sides of the Strait.
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