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Taiwan quick take

■Society
`Girl's' death a double shock
A man in northern Taiwan received a double shock yesterday after learning his lover committed suicide -- when he discovered that his girlfriend was actually a man. The unidentified 24-year-old man rushed to the funeral parlour in Tucheng to mourn his girlfriend's death, but was surprised to discover the body of a man lying in the coffin, a local cable station reported. The man said he had dated his "girlfriend" for six months. The mother of the deceased man, who was identified only by his surname, Huang, said her son had been cross-dressing since he was 15. Police said Huang left a suicide note saying the pressure of being a cross-dresser was too much for him, so he decided to kill himself.

■ Legislature
Chang opposes new passport
KMT Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴) yesterday urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to think carefully before making any changes to the cover of the Republic of China (ROC) passport. The ministry said Thursday that it would add the word "Taiwan" to the cover of ROC passports. Chang said at a news conference yesterday that the ministry must be careful in dealing with this sensitive issue or else it will cause a great deal of controversy. He said he wondered if pro-independence groups are pressuring the ministry to make what he called "a strange move." Chang said it is not consistent with international practice to print on the cover of a passport any words other than the name of the country and the name of the document.

■ Politics
TSU denies rumors
The TSU said yesterday that it remains firmly aligned with the DPP and fully support President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) re-election bid, despite rumors that it would nominate its own candidate for next year's presidential election. "It's a malicious rumor to try to separate the green team's cooperation," TSU spokesman Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said. "Our party's responsibility is surely to maintain the existence of a local regime." Lin stressed that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) has ordered the TSU to assist the DPP to get over 50 percent of the voters, despite any internal conflicts between the two parties. "Lee is preparing to launch a campaign tour around the country to promote President Chen," Lin said. "In the near future, Lee and Chen will make joint appearances at campaign activities."

■ Economics
Taiwan to host conference
Taiwan will host an international energy conference in 2005, according to KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who returned from the Czech Republic yesterday. "Directors of the International Association for Energy Economics [IEAA] have decided that Taiwan will be the host of the 2005 conference after being impressed by our delegates' presentation at the recent assembly," Siew said. He said over 300 international energy economists attended this year's IEAA meeting in the Czech Republic. The IEAA is a non-governmental organization comprised of more than 200 groups around the world. Siew said it is not clear whether China -- which is not a IEAA member -- will be invited to the 2005 conference. But he said China "would be welcome if Beijing attains membership and wants to send delegates to the gathering."
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