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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Cross-Strait Ties
Beijing says world for war
Any Chinese military action against Taiwan would receive the support and sympathy of the international community because Taipei provoked China, a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party said. "Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is pushing cross-strait relations towards war," Outlook magazine said in an edition seen yesterday. "This kind of punishing military operation would receive the support and sympathy of the international community and a majority of neighboring countries," the magazine said. "The Chen Shui-bian administration provoked [China] first. Striking only after the enemy has struck is a just cause to dispatch troops," the weekly said. "The Chinese government is not afraid of a delay in economic development, not afraid of not hosting the Olympics or the World Expo and not afraid of sacrificing [no matter] how many people," it said.

■ Holidays
Chen backs Christmas
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday promised foreign religious leaders that he will ask the government to consider making Dec. 25 a national holiday. "Even Islamic countries set the day as a national holiday. I personally do not oppose setting Dec. 25 as a national holiday, but this proposal needs support of the majority of the country," Chen said. "However, I believe the proposal will meet everybody's expectation," the president added. Dec. 25 was originally a national holiday but due to the reorganization of notational holiday by the government in 2001, the holiday had been canceled. Chen made this remark at the Presidential Office yesterday when receiving representatives of the Catholic mission in Taiwan. His Eminence Cardinal Paul Shan, who is bishop of the Diocese of Kaoshiung, was also present.

■ Space
ROCSAT-2 launch delayed
The launch of ROCSAT-2, Taiwan's second satellite, will be delayed from the end of this month to the end of next month because the operator of the satellites' launch vehicle requested more time to fix problems pertaining to the precision of apparatus on the ground, according to the National Science Council (NSC) yesterday. Council officials said that US Orbital Sciences Corp (OSC), the operator of the Taurus launch vehicle, notified them of errors in precision that could be attributed to the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that shook California on Dec. 22. The liftoff might be postponed to March 25 or later, NSC officials said. Meanwhile, electrical circuit problems with the Taurus rocket discovered in December, which delayed the scheduled liftoff on Jan. 17 to the end of this month have already been fixed, NSC officials said.

■ Environment
EPA on spitters' case
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) launched a one-year nationwide crackdown yesterday that will mete out stiff fines ranging from NT$1,200 to NT$6,000 to people who litter or spit betelnut juice on the streets. Officials from the EPA and Taipei City's environmental affairs bureau yesterday issued two tickets after launching an campaign at busy intersections in the city. MRT station entrances, freeway interchanges, overpass entrances and road intersections will be the key spots in the inspection drive. Yesterday's two tickets were issued to motorists who threw cigarette butts out of their cars. Taipei City has been carrying out inspections for some time but did not imposed fines on violators until yesterday.

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