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Taiwan quick take

■Weather
Watch out for typhoon: CWB
The Central Weather Bureau yesterday called for heightened public awareness against heavy rains and strong winds likely to bear down on the nation as the typhoon Soudelor gained momentum. The latest weather data showed Soudelor has gained force to become a typhoon from a tropical storm as it approached the nation. "The typhoon is currently above the waters of the Bashi Channel and moving north," an official at the bureau said. "Ships sailing on the Bashi Channel and on the waters northeast and southeast of the island must heighten their vigilance," he said. Soudelor was located some 280km southeast of Eruanpi, the southern-most tip of Taiwan, at 2pm, the bureau said. With winds of 110km per hour, the typhoon was moving north at 19km per hour, it said. Soudelor tracked the Pacific coast of the northern Philippines Monday, displacing about 200 people and leaving thousands stranded at key ports, rescuers there said.

■ Politics
Ma's man to visit HK
Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) is scheduled to visit Singapore and Hong Kong in mid-July as part of the city government's efforts to contain and prevent SARS. Ou will travel at the behest of Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to exchange views with health-care workers who have been on the frontlines in the fight against SARS. Ou will also gather information on their experience in SARS containment, quarantine policies and other preventive measures. According to Ou, the city government has begun to build a fixed municipal mechanism for SARS prevention and containment as well as for reconstruction in the post-SARS era. Taipei has decided to include SARS in the city government's comprehensive disaster prevention system, Ou said.

■ Legislature
President denies pay raise
A Presidential Office spokesman said yesterday that contrary to claims by the opposition, the personal wealth of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has declined rather than increased. James Huang (黃志芳) said that according to a record of assets filed Feb. 13, the president's assets last year decreased NT$1.7 million (US$48,571) from the previous year, so it is unclear why the opposition is spreading allegations about a surge in the president's wealth. Huang made the remarks in the wake of allegations by legislators Liao Feng-teh (廖風德) and Kwan Yuk-noan (關沃暖) of the opposition KMT and former Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平).

■ Identity
China blasts passport change
China yesterday criticized Taiwan's addition of the word "Taiwan" to its passport cover and urged other countries to back Beijing's claim of sovereignty over the nation. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (劉健超) said the passport revision was a form of "progressive independence separatist activity and another step to undermine cross-straits relations. ... It cannot but give rise to a high degree of alert from the Chinese people." The new passport design, unveiled on Thursday, adds "Taiwan" below Republic of China. Liu urged other countries to "respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and remain vigilant against the Taiwanese authorities' activities. ... No matter what tricks the Taiwanese authorities play it cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China.

Agencies
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