Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Lien, the presidential candidate of the opposition "pan-blue alliance," said if he is elected, he will see to it that Kaohsiung residents cast their referendum votes for the opening of direct air and shipping links between Kaohsiung and China as part of the effort to rejuvenate the port city and help generate job opportunities.
Lien made the promise during a ceremony marking the establishment of a campaign support group of residents living in the Tsoying-Nantsu district.
He derided President Chen Shui-bian's (
In addition, Lien's party yesterday proposed a bill to cut legislative seats by about half -- part of a plan to revamp the political system and make it more efficient.
The KMT proposed that legislative seats be cut from the current 223 seats to 113 seats by 2007, with at least 35 seats being held by women.
KMT Legislator Lee Chia-chin (
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has also called for a smaller legislature. But the DPP wanted to make the change in a new constitution that would have been approved by a nationwide referendum.
But the DPP's referendum proposal was rejected by the opposition coalition, which includes the KMT and the People First Party (PFP).
Under a referendum law passed last week, a vote could only be called to endorse constitutional changes first approved by the legislature.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS