■SARS
AIDS expert says don't panic
A world renowned AIDS specialist said recently that the world has overreacted to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, according to a Web site report out of Hong Kong yesterday. Dr. David Ho (何大一), a pioneer of the so-called cocktail treatment for AIDS, reportedly called for people around the world not to panic over the SARS epidemic. He was quoted in the Web site report as saying that people have been overly frightened about SARS due in large part to the fact that they have little knowledge about the new viral disease and to the fact that the media has excessively played up the epidemic.
■ Diplomacy
Palau visitors arrive
Palau Vice President Sandra Pierantozzi is leading a four-member delegation that arrived in Taipei yesterday for a five-day visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Pierantozzi and his delegation will meet with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) and Department of Health Director-General Twu Shing-jer (涂醒哲), the ministry said in a press release. They will also visit Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center, Taroko National Park, Tzu-Chi Buddhist General Hospital, Taipei Floriculture Experiment Center and other cultural and economic establishments.The delegation is scheduled to leave on Saturday.
■ Culture
Three groups to visit US
Three cultural groups are scheduled to leave for the US tomorrow to perform in 15 cities as part of the Taiwanese American Heritage Week programs, Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission chief Chang Fu-mei (張富美) said yesterday. The three groups are the Taiwan Hakka Culture Delegation (台灣客家文化訪問團), Taipei Aboriginal Dance Art Club (台北山舞藝術團) and Jiangtzichuei Theater Group (江之翠劇場). The Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a Washington-based lobbyist for Taiwan, has sponsored the Taiwan American Heritage Week programs since 1999.
■ Aid
Rice going to Indonesia
The government said yesterday that it will donate 50,000 tonnes of rice to poverty-stricken people in Indonesia. "We will send the rice to Indonesia in five shipments. The first shipment -- 10,000 tonnes -- will be sent in early May," a Department of Health official said. The rice will be distributed to poor people on Java, Sumatra, Kilimantan and Sulawesi. "We hope our donation can help ease Indonesia's food shortage and strengthen the friendship between out two countries," the official said.
The government has said it will donate 100,000 tonnes of surplus rice to foreign countries each year.
■ Protest
Rally set to go ahead
A "Call Taiwan Taiwan" rally, slated to be held on May 11 in Taipei, will be held as scheduled, despite public fears over SARS, organizers announced yesterday. The Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan issued a statement that said they decided to go ahead with the rally after having thoroughly studied the impact of the potentially deadly disease since its outbreak in the middle of last month. The alliance blames China for Taiwan's diplomatic isolation in the international community and for its industrial hollowing out and talent exodus.
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