Cashing in on its numerical advantage, the legislature's pan-blue-dominated Procedure Committee yesterday placed the controversial "cross-strait peace advancement" bill on the legislative agenda as the first bill for discussion at next Tuesday's plenary session.
The bill, which passed the committee in an 18-14 vote, would create a special committee to handle cross-strait affairs that would assume the current functions of the Mainland Affairs Council and Straits Exchange Foundation.
Pan-green critics object to the bill because it would enshrine the "one China" concept into law, and usurp the executive branch's constitutional power over cross-strait policymaking.
The Procedure Committee's move yesterday set the stage for another emotional showdown in the legislature on Tuesday.
TSU caucus whip David Huang (
Making the bill law would not be in the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) interest, Huang argued, because the public would conclude that the People First Party is leading the KMT by the nose and getting it to cooperate with China's Communist Party to oppose pro-independence forces.
Meanwhile, the stymied arms procurement bill failed to pass the committee for the 35th time, despite Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Winston Dang's (
The committee also rejected the DPP's proposal to invite the president to brief the legislature on the arms procurement plan, and nixed three different versions of a party assets bill presented by the DPP, Taiwan Solidarity Union and Executive Yuan -- each designed to strip the KMT's of its ill-gotten gains.
The pan-blue-controlled committee also rejected a bill proposed by the Executive Yuan to establish a "clean government bureau" under the Ministry of Justice, saying that it is redundant because there is already an Investigation Bureau under the ministry.
In one rare example of cross-party harmony, the committee passed a joint resolution made by all caucuses supporting the president's selection of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
That cross-party resolution comes despite the fierce opposition to Wang's visit from China, as well as resistance from South Korea, the host country for the summit.
KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (
Tseng said that it was useless to condemn the premier now, as the truth of the matter is still gradually coming to light.
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
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
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