Taiwan Quick Take

■ Education
Academic ties boosted
Representatives from the social science and humanities graduate school under Taiwan's National Chengchi University and the international relations institute under Peking University inked an agreement yesterday to boost two-way academic exchanges. Under the agreement, the two parties will start exchanges of professors and graduate school students with financial assistance from the private sector. The privately run New Hope Cross-Strait Academic Exchanges Association has initially contributed NT$1 million to help promote the cause, Shao said, adding that he hopes to set up periodic point-to-point exchanges and systematic research mechanisms between universities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

■ Agriculture
Dujuan losses top NT$1.3bn
Agricultural losses caused by Typhoon Dujuan had exceeded NT$1.35 billion as of yesterday morning, with fruit crops bearing the brunt of the damage, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said. According to COA Vice Chairman Lee Chien-chuan (李健全), the hardest-hit crops included pears, apples, wax apples (bell fruit), jujubes and bananas. Initial reports show that many fruit farms in the counties of Taitung, Pingtung and Taichung could be eligible for cash relief, while fruit farms in Hualien and Nantou counties could receive low-interest loans, Lee said. Noting that fruit crops are highly substitutable, Lee said he is convinced that domestic fruit prices will not rise sharply since imported fruits remain abundant. Lee said Typhoon Dujuan has not seriously affected the country's major vegetable production areas.

■ China
Convicted spy imprisoned
A Chinese court has imprisoned a man for 15 years for gathering military intelligence for Taiwan, the Beijing Times said yesterday. The People's High Court in the eastern province of Jiangsu had recently rejected an appeal by Ma Peiming, who turns 29 this month, and upheld a 15-year prison term meted out in June, the newspaper said. Ma was arrested in February for "seriously endangering national security" and had admitted gathering military intelligence in cities across China, it said. It said Taiwan intelligence had trained Ma during an overseas trip in October 2000, adding that he had received more than US$20,000 and surveillance equipment from Taiwan between 2000 and last year. It gave no further details.

■ Armed forces
Nation's martyrs honored
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) presided over a ceremony at the Yuanshan Martyrs Shrine in suburban Taipei yesterday in remembrance of the nation's war dead as part of Armed Forces Day celebrations. Chen burned incense, presented a wreath and led various senior officials in bowing three times in respect before the altar dedicated to all those who have died for the nation's cause. Senior officials attending the ceremony included Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and Premier Yu Shyi-kun. Also present were legislators, military representatives and families of the war dead. After the ceremony, Chen extended his condolences and regards to the representatives of the dead soldiers' families. Similar rituals were also held at martyr shrines around the country, including one at a hillside military cemetery in Taipei County and one at scenic Chengching Lake in Kaohsiung County.