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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ENVIRONMENT

Nuclear waste to China?

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Justin Huang (黃健庭) said yesterday he had suggested the government discuss with Beijing the possibility of storing Taiwan’s nuclear waste in China. Huang told reporters he shared the idea that low-level radioactive waste could be stored abroad with Vice Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng (鄧振中) and other personnel. Now that cross-strait relations have improved, Taipei could be in a position to hold negotiations with Beijing on storing the waste in remote areas of China, he said. Huang floated the idea after the Chinese-language United Evening News reported on Friday that the Ministry of Economic Affairs had chosen Daren Township (達仁) in Taitung, Mudan Township (牡丹) in Pingtung County and Wangan Township (望安) in Penghu County as potential sites for the storage of low-radioactivity nuclear waste. Final decisions would not be made until after regional referendums and environmental impact assessments are held.



■POLITICS

Tsai off to the US

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was scheduled to depart for the US today on a two-week visit, a party spokesman said yesterday. DPP international affairs department head Lin Cheng-wei (林成蔚) told a press conference that Tsai, on her first US visit since becoming DPP leader, will deliver a speech at her alma mater Cornell University on the past, present and future of cross-strait relations. Tsai will also travel to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, where she will visit the Heritage Foundation think tank. Lin said Tsai was expected to meet with aides and advisers of US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. She will also attend fundraising parties in San Jose, California and New York, Lin said.



■MAIL

Deadlines announced

Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) said yesterday that the deadline for shipping packages and mail by sea for Christmas and the New Year holidays is approaching. The postal service said countries had all set early deadlines for mail and packages sent via sea transport. The earliest deadline was set in Africa — tomorrow — followed by Europe and Oceania on Sept. 15. Countries in the Americas set their deadline on Sept. 20, while people in Asia have until Sept. 23 to send their mail.



■SOCIETY

No online marriages

The Ministry of Justice yesterday denied a newspaper report that said the government planned to allow couples to complete marriage registration on the Internet. Chang Ching-yun (張清雲), director of the ministry’s Department of Legal Affairs, said that registering marriages online would be convenient but problematic, especially in regard to verifying the new couple’s identities, and determining if the individuals were indeed willing to be married or if they had been forced to do so or were acting on impulse. Chang was responding to a Chinese-language United Daily News report yesterday that said the ministry was planning to allow online registration. Under an amendment to the Civil Code that took effect on May 23, couples must visit a household registration office in person to register their marriage. Before that date, a marriage was considered binding if a ceremony had been presided over by a notary public or a judge and at least two witnesses.


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