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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Politics
Lawmaker returns to KMT
Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) announced his return to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday after a 12-year absence. Saying that he felt like he was "coming home," Lee said his main reason for quitting the KMT to become a founding member of the New Party was his opposition to the policies of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). The lawmaker's announcement brought an end to weeks of speculation after he announced on May 18 that he would leaving the People First Party (PFP) because of its poor performance in last month's National Assembly elections. He blamed the poll results on the PFP's leaders decision to make friendly gestures toward the pan-green camp.

■ Cross-strait Ties
Lawmakers back TV plea
A total of 45 lawmakers released a joint letter yesterday urging the European satellite operator Eutelsat to continue leasing its satellite to a US-based Chinese-language TV station so that it can broadcast pro-"democracy programs" into China. At a press conference held in the Legislative Yuan, Liu Ying-chuan (劉鶯釧), a representative of the New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) station, urged Eutelsat to continue leasing its satellite to his company so that it can continue broadcasting free TV programs in China. Liu claimed that NTDTV's programs, designed to unveil "the realities in China," are being hindered by the Chinese authorities and that Eutelsat is planning to end its year-old deal with NTDTV under pressure from Beijing. The company has gained support for its plea from 93 members of the US Congress, 73 European lawmakers, as well as 25 members of the Canadian parliament.

■ Diplomacy
French delegation to visit
A five-member French delegation headed by Christian Bataille, the chair-man of a Taiwan-friendly group in the French National Assembly, will arrive in Taipei tomorrow for a six-day, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday. The group will visit David Chung (鍾榮吉), vice speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) and Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), as well as other officials. They will also tour economic and cultural establishments such as the No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant and the National Palace Museum. Bataille, a socialist, last visited Taiwan in January 2003 to attend conference on Asia-Pacific security. The other members of the group include three of Bataille's colleagues in the National Assembly -- Michel Voisin, Albert Facon and Jacques Houssin -- as well as Delphine Bataille, a provincial councilor.

■ Health
Pet import rules changed
New regulations for the inspection and quarantine of imported cats and dogs take effect on Monday to prevent rabies from entering the country, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said yesterday. The bureau revised its inspection and quarantine guidelines in February. The new rules stipulate that cats and dogs imported from infected areas must have blood samples examined by certified laboratories at least 180 days before their entry. Bureau officials said that Taiwan has had no documented cases of rabies since 1961. They warned people not to buy animals from unidentified sources and encouraged people to report smuggling activities through the hotline: 0800-039131.

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