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Taiwan quick take

■Politics
Group heads to Washington
Taiwan Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) left for Washington on Sunday at the head of a delegation of 10 legislators from across Taiwan's political spectrum for a three-day visit. In Washington, Wang and the legislators, most of them members of the legislative committee of national defense, are scheduled to call on the US Congress, the Department of State and the Department of Defense. Unconfirmed sources from the Legislative Yuan said last week that the US invited Wang in the hope that he will help smooth legislative screening of budget proposals for Taiwan's purchase of US weapons in the future. Wang and the legislators are also expected to meet with academics from a few top think-tanks to exchange views on matters of mutual concern. The legislators arrived in New York last Friday and have not engaged in any public activities.

■ Students
Walk-in visas approved
Starting from today, local applicants for the US student, exchange-visitor and vocational-student visas can apply without making an appointment, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said yesterday. The AIT said the decision was made in an attempt to resolve delays in processing student and exchange visitor visas. The new measure can allow applicants to avoid the one-week wait for appointments. Applicants in these classes may come to apply any morning, Monday through Friday, between 8am and 11:30am, the AIT said. These applicants will still need the appropriate form, a completed application, a fee receipt and a valid passport to help facilitate the handling of the visa issuance, the AIT added.

■ United States
COA offers lychee tasting
The Council of Agriculture is promoting fresh lychees in the US this weekend by offering free tastes of the fruit in certain shopping centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. lychees are a sweet and juicy tropical fruit similar to but larger than lungans. The US has agreed to import lychees, mangoes and starfruits from Taiwan. The council is trying to make inroads into the US market for Taiwan lychees. The council hopes that Taiwan lychees will become as popular in the world market as American cherries are in Taiwan, Wang Ming-lai, director of the council's Department for International Cooperation, said on Sunday. He said that Taiwan's agriculture must undergo transformation under the framework of the WTO, and that growing high quality fruits for export is one of the ways to do this. The council plans to export 5,000 tonnes of lychees this year, mainly to the US, Canada and the Philippines.

■ Sport
Baseball spit rule enforced
The government yesterday started banning players from spitting during professional baseball games on the grounds it sets a bad example to fans and children watching games on TV, officials said.
Under the ban, a violator will be fined NT$6,000 each time he spits, the National Sports Council said. Some players called the latest measure "unbelievable," insisting they must be allowed to spit because of dust on the playing field. "I just can't believe they made such a rule. No baseball advanced countries like the United States and Japan would ban their players as it is a normal reaction to spit if sand comes into their mouths when they are making catches or running on the field," said Chao Shih-chiang (趙世強), head coach of Gida team.
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