■ Politics
Beijing diplomat defends law
China's recent adoption of an "Anti-Secession" Law aimed at Taiwan is meant to bring about "peaceful national reunification," thee Chinese ambassador to Singapore Zhang Yun (張云) said yesterday. Speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore, Zhang defended the law passed last week by the National People's Congress, which triggered criticism from the US and Japan. "This law is meant to strengthen and promote cross-strait relations and bring about peaceful national reunification," Zhang said. "It is by no means a law on use of force against Taiwan, even less a law targeting Taiwan compatriots," he said. The law authorizes "non-peaceful" means against Taiwan if it moves toward formal independence.
■ Earthquake
Tremor shakes Nanao
A moderate earthquake shook northeastern Taiwan yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said. No damage or injuries were immediately reported. The 4.8-magnitude quake was centered 12km southwest of Nanao, the weather bureau said. Nanao is 90km southeast of Taipei.
■ Health
Lu suffers dry eye relapse
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) suffered a relapse of dry eye syndrome Monday during a transit stop in Miami on her way back to Taiwan after concluding a trip to Central America. She recovered after medical treatment. She is scheduled to return to Taiwan today.
■ Economy
CSBC plans name change
China Shipbuilding Corp (CSBC) president Fan Kuang-nan (范光男) said yesterday that a plan to change the company's name will cost an estimated NT$140 million (US$4.46 million). Fan told the legislature's Sci-Tech and Information Committee that the company submitted its name-change proposal to the Ministry of Economic Affairs in late January. The company is considering changing its name to "Central Shipbuilding Corp" or "Chungchuan Shipbuilding Corp" and will maintain its Chinese and English abbreviations to lessen the impact on its brand value, Fan said. According to Fan, CSBC is a reputable company in the international shipbuilding industry, with a brand value estimated at over NT$1 billion. The government has put forth a plan to change the names of state-run enterprises that bear the word "China" or "Chinese" to avoid confusion with those in China.
■ Politics
Chen's presence `irrelevant'
Whether President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) should take part in Saturday's protest to express anger over China's recent enactment of its "Anti-Secession" Law is beside the point, a US expert said on Tuesday. John Tkacik, a research fellow in China Policy at the Heritage Foundation, made the remarks at a seminar sponsored by the pro-independence Formosan Association for Public Affairs in Washington. According to Tkacik, Beijing has "irrationally" enacted the Anti-Secession Law and Taiwan has no need to counter it by adopting an anti-annexation law, making irrational moves to even the score, or by mobilizing a government-led protest march. But if it were the private sector mobilizing a million-people protest march on its own, it would underscore the will of the Taiwanese people to the international community, he said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it