Taiwan Quick Take

■ Cross-strait ties
China makes threat
China's Communist Party daily cautioned Taiwan's leaders yesterday against holding a referendum on independence. Taiwanese authorities "would draw fire against themselves if they cling obstinately to the course" of holding a referendum on the nation's political future and status, said a commentary in the People's Daily. The planned move by the DPP would only aggravate tension between Beijing and Taipei, said the commentary, entitled "Why is it difficult to break the deadlock between the two sides?" The papery also accused President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of "intentionally widening political differences between the two sides and creating new obstacles." It blamed Chen for shutting the door to dialogue, which it said was the "basic crux of the stalemate."

■ Foreign relations
Dollar diplomacy ruled out
Taiwan not engage in "checkbook diplomacy," Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) said in San Francisco on Wednesday. Chien, heading a five-member delegation, made the remarks while making a transit stop in San Francisco on his way to the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to attend an annual meeting of foreign ministers from Taiwan and its four East Caribbean diplomatic allies. Commenting on recent media reports that the Pacific island nation of Nauru is about to cut its diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China in preparation for re-establishing relations with Taiwan, Chien said national interests have been the government's top concern in developing foreign relations. "We are more than willing to boost exchanges and cooperation with other countries based on the principles of equality and reciprocity, but we'll not embark on dollar diplomacy," Chien said.

■ Medicine
UK delegation to visit
Trade Partners UK (TPUK), the UK's government trade development and investment promotion organization, is slated to lead a British medical association mission to Taipei on Monday for a three-day visit, the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) said yesterday. "The purpose of this visit is to gauge specific ongoing prospects for the industry in a post Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS] environment," the BTCO said in a press release. The mission is composed of TPUK official Nick Stephens and Bradley Barnes from Medilink Ltd, a membership-based professional association in the Yorkshire and Humber region of the UK, the BTCO said. The delegates will visit public and private organizations in order to help them "understand the difference in behavioral patterns following SARS," the BTCO said. Medilink Ltd, a gateway for

■ Passports
Change seen as functional
The new version of the ROC passport is mainly for functional purposes, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Yang Sheng-chung (楊勝宗), director of the ministry's Bureau of Consular Affairs, made the remarks while briefing staff members of various airlines and immigration officers at the CKS Airport on the reasons behind the decision to issue a new version of the passport. Yang said the only difference in the new version is the addition of the word "Taiwan" in Roman script to the cover to enable foreign immigration officers to more easily understand where the passport holder hails from.