Taiwan Quick Take

■ Cross-strait Ties
China more dangerous
Taiwan businessmen operating in China as well as their family members are at high risk of being robbed, kidnapped or even murdered, police authorities said yesterday. According to statistics provided by the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to police, a total of 72 Taiwan businesspeople or members of their families have been killed in China since 1991, while 167 others remain missing. In 1998 alone, a record high of 13 Taiwan people were murdered in China, while another nine were killed in 1999. So far this year, eight Taiwan citizens have been killed in China, including a recent case in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Among the 167 missing persons, 34 were reported last year, with the same number having been reported already this year, police said. In addition, a total of 57 Taiwan citizens have been kidnapped or abducted in China over the past 13 years, while 82 others have been shot, wounded or blackmailed, according to the SEF statistics.

■ Agriculture
TAITRA to help sell oranges
The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is lending a hand to help promote the sale of oranges in a bumper harvest year. The Council of Agriculture (COA) estimated that total production of oranges is expected to reach 208,652 tonnes this year, up 13 percent from last year. Although the COA has activated its purchase mechanism to deal with the overproduction, the move has not been sufficient to offset the losses to orange growers caused by slumping prices. The TAITRA, which is mainly responsible for export promotion, has therefore decided to pitch in by helping sell oranges at home and overseas.

■ Health
Men die after eating snails
Two Thai men have slipped into deep comas after catching a form of meningitis from eating snails in Taiwan, it was reported yesterday. They were among four Thai construction workers who checked into the hospital with headaches, vomiting and sore necks two weeks after eating snails they had found in the wild, a local newspaper said. It added that the two, who are hospitalized in Ilan County, will suffer permanent brain damage from invading worms. The other two workers, who only had one snail each, were discharged. At least 15 people have died from brain diseases triggered by eating snails in Taiwan and experts warn that snails must be fully cooked to kill the worms inside, the newspaper said. Fried snails is a popular dish available in many night markets.

■ Infrastructure
Premier inspects project
Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday expressed the hope that the Peiyi Expressway project could be completed two months ahead of schedule. Construction work on the 31km Peiyi Expressway, which connects Shihting in Taipei County and Suao in the northeastern county of Ilan, is scheduled to be completed in December next year. While inspecting the project in Ilan County, Yu pointed out that he had always demanded during his term as Ilan magistrate that public construction projects be completed three months ahead of schedule. Yu said he hopes the engineering team of the Peiyi Expressway project will step up the pace and have the project completed two month earlier in order to provide time to deal with any problems that may arise. The 12.9km Shueishan Tunnel, the centerpiece of the project, was bored through in September.

■ Politics
Wang turns down Chen offer
Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday turned down President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) offer to appoint him to head the Control Yuan. Wang said he is not interested in becoming the Control Yuan president as he is one of the at-large legislative candidates nominated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Wang made the remarks in response to inquiries by reporters while hosting the opening ceremony of a national tennis tournament in Kaohsiung City. President Chen is expected to nominate candidates for 27 Control Yuan seats, as well as for the presidency and vice presidency of the watchdog body, by mid-December. While campaigning for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidates for the Dec. 11 legislative elections in Hsinchu last Friday, Chen said he was considering nominating Wang for the post of Control Yuan president.

■ Foreign Affairs
Utah governor to visit
The governor of the US state of Utah is set to arrive in Taiwan today at the head of a six-member delegation for a four-day visit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday. Governor Olene Walker is coming here to sign a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the officials said. She is also scheduled to pay visits to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Mainland Affairs Council and the American Institute in Taiwan. Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Chen (陳唐山) and Taiwan Provincial Governor Lin Kuang-hua (林光華) are scheduled to host parties in honor of the visiting governor. Utah established sisterhood with Taiwan Province in 1980.