■ Cross-strait ties
Unification must wait: Ma
The time is not yet ripe for unification between Taiwan and China, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview with Newsweek magazine. Ma, who also serves as Taipei mayor, said while Beijing does not want to see Taiwan pursue de jure independence, it is also refraining from pushing for unification at the moment. For Taiwan, Ma said, the most important thing at present is to maintain the status quo and refrain from provoking Beijing. Taiwan should instead promote cross-strait trade and investment and take steps to ease the cross-strait tension, he added. In the interview with Newsweek correspondent Jonathan Adams, Ma said that unification is the ultimate goal for the KMT but it doesn't have a timetable for realizing that goal. He said he doesn't think that either side is ready for unification yet as the situation is not ripe.
■ Defense
Schools get defense courses
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday announced it would strengthen defense education in schools to raise people's awareness about China's military threat and its psychological, legal and media warfare against the nation. The government has decided to ask elementary schools, high schools and universities to strengthen defense education, and the ministry will offer teaching materials. Considering the possibility that China may launch a surprise attack on the nation's political and economic center, Taipei City, the ministry said the defense education will train people how to cope with an unexpected military attack. The ministry said that although students are currently required to take defense courses, these focus on military skills, while the new courses would highlight defense consciousness.
■ Society
Woman at CKS for a month
A Malaysian woman has been stranded at CKS International Airport in Taoyuan for more than a month, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. Amy He, 25, told the Chinese-language Apple Daily that she is awaiting the arrival of her father, a Taiwanese businessman, who is reportedly in the Philippines on business. The woman had traveled to Taiwan twice this year to visit her father, the paper said, but lost contact with him and came to Taiwan to wait for him. Her visa expired on Dec. 9, but immigration authorities allowed her to extend it for one month. Staff at the airport have been helping the woman by providing her with food and coins to call her sick mother in Malaysia.
■ Society
Christmas events planned
In an effort to make this year's Christmas events more spiritual and less commercial, the Taipei City Government has partnered with the Taipei branch of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan to host Christmas activities with a focus on understanding and tranquility. A series of events, including a theme Christmas tree, a Christmas cafe, a "Spreading the love from Taipei to the World" prayer session, Christmas Mass and Christmas Gospel, will be held between now and Christmas Day, the city government said. A special prayer session will be held at the observatory deck of Taipei 101 on Thursday. The main Christmas Eve celebration will take place at the Taipei Multifunctional Arena on the night of Dec. 24. Free tickets can be obtained at the city government's information department and several other locations. For more information, visit the Web site www.doi.tcg.gov.tw.
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