■ Cross-strait ties
Zhangzhou group in Kinmen
Zhangzhou Vice Mayor Tang Peigeng (譚培根) from Xiamen, Fujian Province, led a six-member delegation to Kinmen yesterday to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Tang's was the first trade group from Zhangzhou to visit Kinmen since the "small three links," were implemented in January 2001. Kinmen County Magistrate Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽) said that Kinmen and Zhangzhou are close to each other. Lee said Zhangzhou has an ample supply of agricultural products and construction materials and that there should be room for cooperation between the two sides such as in tourism and the processing of light industrial products. With a lot of Taiwanese winery owners trying to register their products as Kinmen Kaoliang liquor in Zhangzhou, Lee expressed his appreciation that Zhangzhou authorities helped revoke their registrations. Lee also welcomed Zhangzhou to sponsor trade fairs in Kinmen.
■ Foreign wives
Ministry to boost protection
Vice Minister of the Interior Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) said yesterday the ministry will step up protection of foreign wives of Taiwanese. Chien made the remarks when he attended a public hearing, sponsored by KMT Legislator Chiang Chi-wen (江綺雯), to highlight the problems faced by foreign wives. Several social groups, including the Pearl Buck Foundation and the YWCA, also took part. Chien said that the ministry had worked out a policy to provide counselling to foreign wives and set up a "one-stop" service center to step up protection of abused foreign wives. In addition, he said that from next year, the ministry will increase the budget to help foreign wives by 85 percent in the hopes of increasing the level of care for them.
■ Water
Rains ease shortage
Water Resources Agency Deputy Director Chen Shen-hsien (陳伸賢) said yesterday that the first-stage of a series of water restrictions for northern Taiwan may be lifted in the middle of next month, thanks to recent precipitation. Chen said the Feitsui Reservoir in Taipei County and the Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan County have accumulated 120mm and 130mm of rainfall, respectively, since the beginning of this month. Should the accumulations at the two dams reach 180mm by the end of the month, a second-phase of water-conservation measures originally planned for the north early next month may not go ahead. The first-stage of measures could be removed by the middle of next month if rainfall remains normal early next month, Chen said.
■ 2004 election
Youth backs opposition
Most young people would support opposition candidates over President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in next year's presidential election, according to a poll released yesterday. The poll by the TVBS cable news station surveyed people aged between 19 and 22, who would be able to vote for the first time in next year's ballot. The voting age is 20. The poll showed that 57 percent of respondents supported KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and his probably running mate, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). Thirty-seven percent would vote for Chen if he sought re-election with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮). Seventeen percent said they would not vote. TVBS said 600 people took part in the telephone survey, conducted from April 7 to Monday. The poll had a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
Taiwan must first strengthen its own national defense to deter a potential invasion by China as cross-strait tensions continue to rise, multiple European lawmakers said on Friday. In a media interview in Taipei marking the conclusion of an eight-member European parliamentary delegation’s six-day visit to Taiwan, the lawmakers urged Taipei to remain vigilant and increase defense spending. “All those who claim they want to protect you actually want to conquer you,” Ukrainian lawmaker Serhii Soboliev said when asked what lessons Taiwan could draw from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Soboliev described the Kremlin as a “new fascist Nazi regime” that justified
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
‘T-DOME’: IBCS would increase Taiwan’s defense capabilities, enabling air defense units to use data from any sensor system and cut reaction time, a defense official said A defense official yesterday said that a purported new arms sale the US is assembling for Taiwan likely includes Integrated Battle Command Systems (IBCS). The anonymous official’s comments came hours after the Financial Times (FT) reported that Washington is preparing a US$20 billion arms sale encompassing “Patriot missiles and other weapons,” citing eight sources. The Taiwanese official said the IBCS is an advanced command and control system that would play a key role in President William Lai’s (賴清德) flagship defense program, the “T-Dome,” an integrated air defense network to counter ballistic missiles and other threats. The IBCS would increase Taiwan’s
NOMINAL NEWLYWEDS: A man’s family and his wife — his long-term caregiver — are engaged in a legal dogfight over the propriety and validity of the recent union A centenarian’s marriage to his caregiver unbeknownst to his children has prompted legal action, as the caregiver accuses the man’s children of violating her personal liberty and damaging her reputation, while the children have sought a legal option to have the marriage annulled. According to sources, the 102-year-old man surnamed Wang (王) lives in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山) and previously worked as a land registration agent. Wang reportedly owns multiple properties and parcels of land worth several hundred million New Taiwan dollars and has ten children. His caregiver, a 69-year-old surnamed Lai (賴), has been caring for him since about 1999,
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