■ Health
More dengue cases seen
Health workers sprayed insecticide and inspected homes in Pingtung yesterday after three new cases of dengue fever were reported. The latest cases in Pingtung raised the nation's total number of infections this year to 15, said Lee Tsui-chung (李翠瓊), a section chief with the Center for Disease Control. TV reports showed officials checking homes for buckets, tubs and other containers that might be holding standing water that's ideal for mosquito breeding. Officials were also spraying yards and wooded areas with clouds of insecticide. Lee said 14 cases have been reported in Pingtung so far this year and one in Taichung
■ Diplomacy
FSC chief sets US speech
Finance Supervision Commission Chairman Kung Chao-sheng (龔照勝) will attend the Financial Service Roundtable in Washington on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30. Kung is scheduled to deliver a speech in the Global Financial Issue Forum of the roundtable. US Vice President Dick Cheney will also address the roundtable. The roundtable has nearly 100 famous corporate members, including Citigroup, HSBC North America Holding Co, JP Morgan Chase & Co, ING group, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and Merrill Lynch & Co.
■ Trade
TAITRA to go to bike fair
The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will lead a delegation to the International Bicycle Trade Exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from Sept. 2 to Sept. 5. TAITRA officials said that in the past few years, Taiwan's bicycles have gained a reputation for high technology, high quality and multifunctionality in Europe, and the delegation's participation in the show will continue to strengthen the good image of Taiwan-made bikes. The delegation will be composed of 150 bike and component companies with some showcasing their environmentally friendly electric foldable bikes and electric mountain bikes. A total of 790 brand names from 37 countries will be shown at the bike fair, the largest in Europe, according to TAITRA officials.
■ Tourism
Kuijen hosts fruit festival
A two-day Buddha-head fruit festival began yesterday in Kuijen township, Tainan County, officials said. Visitors can visit the Tainan County office's south service center to shop and taste Buddha-head fruit. There was also Buddha-head fruit-flavored ice cream sold by the county's Farmers Association. The annual Buddha-head fruit festival is being presided over by Tainan County Commis-sioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智).
■ Diplomacy
S Africa keeps visa rule
South Africa's three-month visa-free privilege for Taiwanese will remain valid for the time being, a South African parliamentarian of Taiwanese origin said yesterday. Chen Chien-hui (陳阡蕙) of South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, made the remarks after the South African legislature passed amendments to the nation's immigration law. Chen said the revised immigration law, which will be formally enacted late this month, does not address immigration and visa issues concerning any specific country. Therefore, Chen said, South Africa will maintain its three-month visa-free privilege for Taiwan at least for the time being.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all