■ 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 The exhibition, located in the main lobby, will include historical documents from Sun's time, a map of the National Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and Sun's clothing.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.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
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