With President Chen Shui-bian (
Ma called on Chen to "place the interests of the people above personal gains" and not to adversely affect cross-strait stability.
In reply to media questions after presiding over the opening of an art exhibition, Ma said he was in no mood to make any further comments on this issue, as the powers that be should make people's daily lives their top priority.
"Whether or not to do away with the council and guidelines will not add or deduct an ounce from people's problems," he said.
Ma said that the government should instead focus its attention on such problems as "credit card slaves," many of whom have ended up taking extreme measures to evade their credit card debts.
The People First Party (PFP) urged the president to "rein in his horse before he jumps off a cliff."
PFP spokesman Hsieh Kung-ping (謝公秉) said it is beyond doubt that both the US and China have deep suspicions about Chen's recent moves toward abolishing the council and guidelines, one of his five campaign promises to not destabilizing the cross-strait situation.
Chen's expression of his intention to do away with the guidelines and what he called "outdated and anachronistic" council have severely affected Taiwan's national security and international reputation, Hsieh said.
Hsieh said that if Chen continues to ignore the opposition's warnings, his party will be forced to consider the possibility of launching a campaign to recall the president together with other like-minded political forces.
""As of now, our strategy is to ask President Chen or other responsible officials to make a special report on the subject to the legislature," he said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
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