■ Cross-strait ties
DPP seeks united front
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday that its legislative caucus will seek the support of other parties for its March 26 protest against China's proposed "anti-secession" law. DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-teh (賴清德) told a press conference at the Legislative Yuan yesterday that given the importance of the rally, caucus members would approach other lawmakers to sign a joint declaration of support for the parade. "The March 26 parade is to be the first time in Taiwan's history that we will have marched in response to China. Everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnic group, or party should unite together," Lai said. He said the caucus also plans to propose that the legislature invite all party leaders to a summit where they can come up with a joint reaction to the anti-secession law.
■ Travel
Visa-free tourists in Japan
Japan's visa waiver for tourists from Taiwan during the Aichi World Exposition came into force yesterday, with the arrival of 151 Taiwanese visitors in Hokkaido. They were the first group of Taiwanese tourists to enjoy the visa-free privilege. Japanese public television channel NHK footage showed an arriving tourist who said the people of Taiwan generally welcome the visa waiver. A Taiwanese tour guide told an NHK reporter that he believes the visa-free privilege will help boost the number of Taiwanese visitors to Japan by 20 percent to 30 percent this year. More than 1 million Taiwanese visited Japan last year.
■ Politics
KMT marks death of Sun
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's (孫逸仙) death, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will hold an exhibition of artifacts relating to Sun in the party's headquarters starting today. The exhibition, located in the main lobby, will include historical documents from Sun's time, a map of the National Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and Sun's clothing. In a statement issued by the party yesterday, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) used the anniversary of Sun's death to urge unity under the banner of the Republic of China and to criticize pro-independence factions. "Today, we remember the anniversary of Sun's death while facing escalated tensions across the Taiwan Strait and threats to the safety of Taiwan. More now than ever, we must unite [under Sun's wishes for] `peace, struggle, and save Taiwan,'" Lien's statement yesterday. Sun died in Beijing on March 12, 1925.
■ Government
Chen talks about new agency
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that he expects the proposed national communication commission (NCC) would be "fair, independent and just" when it begins operations. Chen made the remarks when receiving a group of foreign visitors who are attending an international seminar in Taipei focusing on national telecommunication and broadcasting policies. The Cabinet has approved draft amendments to abolish the Government Information Office and replace it with the commission. If the proposed amendments are approved by the legislature, the NCC would be an independent entity and the sole supervisory body of the telecommunications and media industries. The major tasks facing the proposed commission include promoting fair competition, enhancement of related industries' national competitiveness and safeguarding consumers' rights, the president told his visitors.
■ Lawyers' group slams China
The Taiwan Bar Association issued a public statement yesterday calling for China to pull back on its enactment of an "anti-secession" law targeting Taiwan "before it's too late." The association, which includes some 4,000 lawyers practicing in Taiwan, urged the Chinese regime not to enact the proposed law to avoid undermining an atmosphere that is conducive to accelerating cross-strait engagement and shun actions that will lead both sides of the strait to a mutually destructive doomsday. The Taiwanese lawyers said that after failing to push its "pro-unification, anti-independence" scheme, Beijing authorized its State Council and Central Military Commission to take Taiwan by "non-peaceful means" if it thinks Taiwan is making moves toward independence. This pre-emptive plot will change the cross-strait status quo unilaterally and also hurts the feelings of the people of Taiwan, the statement says, adding that the law also infringes upon the Taiwanese people's rights to survival and autonomy.
■ Diplomacy
Minnesota governor invited
An official of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago has invited Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to visit Taiwan during his trip to China and Hong Kong later this year. Shao Ping-yun (邵平雲), an information official at the Chicago office, made the invitation in a letter he sent to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the largest newspaper in Minnesota. Pawlenty is scheduled to lead a delegation to visit China and Hong Kong in November to inspect the information technology (IT) industry there. Noting that Taiwan excels in the IT industry, Shao urged the governor to include Taiwan in his trip.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition