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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Diplomacy
Saca promises support
Salvadoran President Tony Saca yesterday pledged to support Taiwan's campaign to join the UN and other international organizations despite opposition from China. Taiwan welcomed Saca with a 21-gun salute as the former sportscaster and media magnate made his first visit since taking office in June. Saca told President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) that El Salvador would continue to support Taiwan's UN bid. "We have always advocated the right of Taiwan to be represented at the United Nations and in more multilateral organizations, and this shows the close cooperation which exists between our countries," Saca said. Taiwan and El Salvador are "geographically far apart, but we hold the same intentions of democracy and freedom for our peoples," he said.

■ Human Rights
Groups protest to IOC
Allegations that Taiwan's freedom of speech is being muffled by China at the Athens airport sparked a complaint to Olympics officials by two European human rights groups on Tuesday. Olympic Watch chairman Jan Ruml said the groups are "extremely concerned" that China's pressure may have prompted airport officials to block or remove Taiwan's promotional posters and billboards. Rogge was asked to publicly denounce attacks on free speech and protect Taiwan's rights. The groups also asked the IOC "to take this stand right through to the end of the 2008 Olympic Games" which are scheduled for Beijing.

■ Arms Purchase
Budget to be reduced
The defense ministry aims to slash about 16 percent off the budget for the planned NT$610 billion (US$18.2 billion) arms purchase from the US after lawmakers said the controversial package was too expensive, Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) said yesterday. The ministry proposes scrapping a project to transfer technology on submarine construction, which would have cost nearly NT$73 billion, Lee told reporters. About NT$20 billion was expected to be cut from other areas, he said, without giving details. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) meanwhile asked the US to lower the price of the arms package.

■ Defense
Armed forces stage drill
Taiwan's armed forces staged a drill simulating an invasion by China yesterday, as a military computer exercise showed that Taiwanese troops could withstand a similar onslaught for just six days. The scenario of the maneuver, the first of two rehearsals for a major exercise to be held on Aug. 25, was that Taiwanese troops had failed to hold off an amphibious landing by Chinese forces, TVBS cable television showed. As Taiwan's troops tried to stop simulated Chinese forces from pushing further inland, a fleet of US-made Cobra and OH-58D Scout gunships fired laser-guided Hellfire missiles while howitzers and tanks fired on targets.

■ Diplomacy
Macau director returns
The director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Macau will return to Taiwan on Aug. 16 to be transferred to the Mainland Affairs Council. His Macau post will be temporarily filled by his deputy, Lin Cheng-kuei. Tsai Chi-chung (蔡之中), who arrived in Macau in April 2001, said that his work over the past three years has been easy, due to the support of many friends in the former Portuguese colony, although there is still room for development.

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