Taiwan Quick Take

■ MILITARY
English course offered
The Ministry of National Defense's Language Center will recruit and train 80 officers to strengthen their English comprehension skills and help the nation in future talks with the US on arms procurement. The ministry said it expects to recruit more military officers who can speak fluent English to facilitate communication with their US counterparts. The center said it welcomes officers, petty officers or noncommissioned officers to submit their applications for its 24-week English class. The deadline for the application is on June 25. A test will be held on July 17 to screen the applicants. The class will begin on Sept. 16 and end on Feb. 29.

■ DIPLOMACY
Allies express support
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that eight Central American countries had pledged their support for the nation's efforts to join international organizations despite several failing to back the nation's recent bid for WHO membership. At a meeting in Belize on Friday, Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region "spoke positively and expressed gratitude for [Taiwan's] support for their regional development and integration," the ministry said in a statement. "They believe our bids for international organizations and activities are legitimate and expressed support," it said. The meeting -- attended by top diplomats from Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador -- was called after Taiwan raised concerns that several of them had declined to back its bid to join the WHO. Last week, the World Health Assembly voted 148-17 not to discuss full membership for Taiwan. Nicaragua and Panama did not vote, while Costa Rica voted against including Taiwan's bid on the agenda.

■ POLITICS
Su's travel plan uncertain
Although former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) plans to travel overseas, he has yet to decide on a time or place, an aide to Su said yesterday. He was responding to reports that Su, who stepped down from the premiership on May 21, was planning to visit the US and Japan at the end of next month in a bid to broaden his horizons and express his appreciation for his supporters in those countries. The aide said Su had no plans to travel overseas at the moment because his mother is in hospital. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, on the other hand, will lead a 10-member group of high-ranking party officials in a tour to the US next month, a DPP official said yesterday. Yu and the group will arrive in Los Angeles on June 8 on the first leg of their US tour to gain an understanding of the party's overseas operations and solicit voter support for next year's presidential election, the official said. Yu will also visit Houston and New York, he said.

■ DIPLOMACY
African summit planned
Leaders Taiwan and its African allies will meet in Taipei in September to exchange views on sustainable development and reinforcement of their partnership, government sources said yesterday. The sources quoted President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as saying it would be the first time Taiwan and its five African allies hold such a summit to beef up bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Speaking at a reception marking Africa Day on Friday, Chen also reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to its African allies in national development and upgrading of health care and medical services.