While leaders of China and the US were scheduled to conduct bilateral talks yesterday on the first day of the leaders' summit, President Chen Shui-bian's (
"I don't know anything about a meeting between President Hu Jintao (
Quan made the remark Friday afternoon during a press conference held at the Mario Hotel, where Hu and the Chinese delegation are staying during the event.
Kong sang a hackneyed tune while commenting on China-US relations.
"The Taiwan problem is the primary interest of the Chinese people and the core element of Sino-American relations," he said. "Only if the Taiwan issue is properly handled can Sino-American relations be developed in a healthy manner."
As evidence of healthy China-US relations, Kong said that President Bush had telephoned Hu before leaving for Chile.
"President Bush thanked President Hu for sending telegrams to congratulate him on winning his second term," he said. "He also pledged to continue the development of Sino-American relations for the next four years. In addition, he reiterated the `one China' policy, honored the three Sino-American communiques and opposed Taiwan independence."
He also criticized Taiwan's "independence separatists" for causing instability across the Taiwan Strait, Kong said.
Commenting on the possibility of resuming talks on cross-strait direct transportation links, Kong rudely responded to a Hong Kong reporter who asked the question by suggesting the reporter "buy a plane ticket to Beijing to ask the spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office (
"Or better yet, you might want to make a phone call now and find out," he said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
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