Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday accused the government of providing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) military and economic benefits in exchange for allowing President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to make a stopover in Abu Dhabi, but Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials denied the allegation.
KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (
Lin said that the ministry's Vice Minister Chu Kai-sheng (
"I strongly opposed the deal, valued at NT$1.6 billion (US$50.82 million), as that kind of equipment would be useless in the current cross-strait situation," Lin said.
DPP Legislator Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖) denied that Chu had confirmed any arms deal with the UAE.
"Chu said that the ministry would not ink the deal with the UAE without first gaining the necessary budget from the legislature. Lin's question on the purchase plan was not confirmed by Chu," Tang said.
Ministry spokesman Wu Chi-fang (
KMT Legislator Lin Yi-shih (林益世) also accused the Presidential Office of asking Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to sell 20 percent of its shares to a UAE company to obtain landing clearance for Chen.
"Parris Chang (
Chang said in the fax that the Sheikh was willing to purchase 20 percent of CPC's shares and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with CPC, the legislator said.
Sheikh Harned BinZayed Al Nahyan is the minister of economic affairs for the UAE and the president of International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
Lin said that CPC's plan to sell 20 percent of its shares, worth NT$30 billion, to IPIC was in return for arranging a stopover.
CPC president Chen Bao-lang (陳寶郎) told a press conference yesterday that CPC had decided not to sell its shares.
Presidential Office deputy Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (
"The Chang fax was just to help the visitor arrange meetings with people while he was in Taiwan. Whether CPC wanted to cooperate with him or release its shares was CPC's own decision," Cho said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS