■ Politics
TSU backs Chen campaign
The TSU will launch an all-out effort to help campaign for President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) presidential bid next year because the party's spiritual leader Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) has promised to help Chen retain his grip on the country's helm, a TSU legislative whip said yesterday. According to TSU lawmaker Lo Jhih-ming (羅志明), Lee has promised to help Chen's election campaign to give the president room to tackle the nation's sluggish economy. The TSU will mobilize its members during activities initiated by Lee scheduled for May and August. At a gathering of the Association of Friends of Lee Teng-hui scheduled to be held at the Grand Hotel on May 4, the TSU hopes to attract 1,200 supporters. Also, at the opening ceremony of the Lee Teng-hui School scheduled for May 17, Lee will invite Chen to share the stage with him, Lo said.
■ Politics
Siew hits back at claims
KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) yesterday rebutted a local Chinese-language magazine article that said he might pair up with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for the next year's presidential election. "It is impossible that I will pair up with Chen for the presidential election," said Siew, who returned yesterday from a trip to Japan. Siew stressed that his expertise is in economics and business and that he is willing to contribute if the ruling government needs his assistance in these areas, but no more. The latest edition of a Chinese-language business weekly claimed that high-ranking DPP officials are working on inviting Siew to be Chen's partner for next March's election.
■ High-speed rail
Cabinet denies wrongdoing
There is nothing wrong in the government's investment in Taiwan's first high-speed railway which is being built by a private corporation with the government's permission, said Executive Yuan spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Friday. Noting that the railway is a major national construction project and is carrying the hopes of all the people, Lin said some opposition lawmakers are critical of the project, but that this comes from misunderstandings surrounding the government's investment. The government investment, through state-owned companies, was consistent with the law, Lin said, adding that the government welcomes lawmakers' supervision of the project but critics should base their criticisms on fact.
■ Cross-strait ties
Lee blasts pro-China groups
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday said that people who don't recognize the value of "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" have undermined Taiwan's strength. Lee said certain pro-China political parties, politicians and media groups have jointly suffocated the hopes of Taiwan's people by opposing the learning of Taiwanese history and culture and by attempting to hand Taiwan's democracy back to an authoritarian regime. Lee said it is preposterous that China labels Taiwan a "renegade province of China." He said Taiwan has never had any revolt, and President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) advocated principle "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" clearly defines cross-strait relations. The former president made the remarks yesterday at a meeting of the Association of Friends of Lee Teng-hui in Hualien.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all