Taiwan Quick Take

■ Passports
Beijing throws tantrum
China yesterday slammed the issuance of new passports by Taiwan and said it was "resolutely opposed" to the placing of the word "Taiwan" on the cover of the document. "To stamp Taiwan on the passport is a way or move to express gradual Taiwan independence and this is a move we are resolutely opposed to," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan (孔泉) said. "This practice cannot be accepted by us." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the new passports on Monday.

■ Identity
KMT opposes Taiwan drive
KMT caucus leaders expressed their opposition yesterday to the "call Taiwan Taiwan" movement, saying the movement is aimed at changing the official name of the country and eliminating the Republic of China. The Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan, the TSU and other organizations are planning to sponsor a parade in downtown Taipei to highlight the movement this Saturday. The KMT caucus held a news conference yesterday to express its opposition to the movement. Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進), a KMT caucus leader, said the DPP is secretly promoting the movement in collaboration with the TSU. Members of the DPP and TSU live in the territory of the Republic of China, but do not recognize their Republic of China citizenship, he said. KMT Legislator Li Chuan-chiao (李全教) said the DPP's secret support of the movement is against the world trend of democracy.

■ Diplomacy
AIT gets new deputy director
David Keegan assumed office as deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday. Keegan succeeds Pamela Slutz, who had been AIT's No. 2 person since September 2001. Slutz left for Washington before she takes up her new post as the US ambassador to Mongolia. Keegan, a historian trained at Columbia University, worked in the office of Taiwan coordination, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, of the US Department of State. Keegan joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and had previously served abroad in Jamaica, South Korea, Guangzhou and Singapore.

■ Hakka affairs
Exhibition begins today
The Council for Hakka Affairs is holding the 2003 Hakka Women Life Images Exhibition from today to Oct. 5. The exhibition will include displays of painting, carving, stained glass, decorations and pottery by Hakka female artists. There will also be a section showing Hakka female artifacts such as underwear, embroidery, traditional wedding carriages, and powder boxes. There will also be do-it-yourself activities such as making Hakka dolls, cloth carving and stained glass. The exhibition is on the 7th floor of the Shinkong Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Hsinyi district from today to Sept. 14, and will be on the 12th floor of the Kaohsiung Sogo Department Store from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5.

■ Trade
Accord before legislature
The new chief of Panama's National Assembly, Jacobo Salas, asked the legislative body on Monday to approve a free-trade accord signed with Taiwan 10 days ago. Salas, a longtime member of the ruling Arnulfista Party, was chosen to be the last congressional speaker under President Mireya Moscoso. Salas called for quick approval of the free-trade agreement with Taiwan signed on Aug. 21 during a Taiwan-Central America summit in Taipei.