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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ DEFENSE

Cooperating with France

Minister of National Defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) yesterday denied that the ministry was planning to carry out the "Diamond Plan" with France, but said that military cooperation and communication between Taiwan and France had never stopped. "The `Diamond Plan' was a research project conducted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Aero-space Industrial Development Corp [漢翔公司]. It has nothing to do with us," Tsai told the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday morning. Tsai was responding to a question from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文), who asked him about a plan to purchase French-made Dassault Rafale fighters, upgrade the navy's Lafayette-class frigates and purchase French-made mine-sweepers. "I cannot reveal any more details because our relationship with France concerns national security. But I assure you that we have been doing our best," Tsai said.



■ ELECTION

Survey ban to begin

A Taipei City official warned yesterday that after tomorrow it is illegal to publish the results of opinion polls relating to the March 22 presidential election. Neither political parties nor individuals are allowed to publish opinion poll data associated with the presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 10 days before the polls, said Jason Yeh (葉傑生), director of Taipei City's election commission. The Election and Recall Act also bars such data from being reported, disseminated, commented on or cited within the 10-day period, Yeh said. Violators will face fines of between NT$500,000 (US$16,249) and NT$5 million, Yeh said.
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