■ LEGISLATURE
No resolution on Kuan
The legislature said a resolution by the Education and Culture Committee to discipline Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) required further cross-party negotiation after the DPP caucus blocked the resolution in the plenary session yesterday. The committee resolved on Oct. 23 to refer Kuan to the Disciplinary Committee after she allegedly slapped Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) in the face during a meeting the previous day. Media reports said Kuan took action because Hung had poked her assistant in the eye when Hung angrily pushed away a poster during the education committee’s preliminary review of the budget for the National Science Council. Kuan may be obliged to issue an oral or written apology or have her legislative rights suspended by between three and six months if the legislature approves the resolution.
■ POLITICS
DPP picks Lin for Taichung
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday that former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) would represent the party in next year’s Taichung mayoral election. Tsai said the party decided to recruit Lin after former DPP legislator Hsieh Ming-yuan (謝明源), who had earlier expressed his interest in running next year, backed out. Tsai lauded Lin’s rich experience as a public servant, adding that he has been staying in Taichung to prepare for the campaign. Tsai said the party believed Lin was the best candidate to run for the post.
■ POLITICS
KMT restores members
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Evaluation and Discipline Committee earlier this month restored the party rights of four legislators who were suspended for barging into the office of former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) during the presidential campaign in March. The four KMT legislators, Alex Fai (費鴻泰), Chen Chieh (陳杰), Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) and Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), were accused of trespassing and clashing with Hsieh’s supporters. The KMT decided to suspended their party rights for one year as punishment. However, committee head Juan Kang-meng (阮剛猛) confirmed yesterday that the rights of the four lawmakers were restored ahead of time. “The four legislators have performed well at work and have been well-behaved during this period,” Juan said. He said that some KMT central standing committee members proposed reviving the four’s party rights, and the committee agreed to do so after serious consideration.
■ ECONOMY
DPP blasts China policies
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) warned yesterday that the government’s quick action to lift restrictions on China-bound businesses could result in capital flight of NT$800 billion (US$24.1 billion). DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) told a press conference that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had taken advantage of the recession to make Taiwan overdependent on China and increase capital outflow across the Strait. After the nation emerges from a recession, Taiwan would have lost its economic independence, Lai said. Saying that the government’s 10 financial deregulatory policies have led to capital flight of NT$150 billion, the caucus estimated that if Taiwan’s 1,200-plus listed firms were to expand their investments in China following the easing of restrictions, it would result in another NT$650 billion flowing to China.
■ HEALTH
Control Yuan slams DOH
The Control Yuan yesterday reprimanded the Department of Health (DOH) over its handling of issues associated with melamine-contaminated products from China. Milk powder imported from China was in September found to contain the toxic chemical melamine, which has since also been found in other Chinese products. The Control Yuan said the DOH had failed to implement a food safety mechanism capable of detecting contaminated food products, had been inconsistent in setting up a standard for permissible levels of melamine, failed to clearly explain to the public why the safety limit for the chemical had been set at 2.5 parts per million and had been negligent in establishing a standard operational procedure to deal with major food safety incidents.
■ CRIME
Judge accused of gambling
The Control Yuan yesterday impeached Hsu Hung-chi (徐宏志), a judge in the Tainan branch of the Taiwan High Court, for his alleged involvement in gambling. The Control Yuan said Hsu played mahjong 100 days per year and had played with former Tainan County Council deputy speaker Chou Wu-liu (周五六) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in May and June, 2001, when Chou was being reviewed by the court on corruption charges. The Control Yuan said this violated the Civil Servants Work Act (公務人員服務法) and the guidelines for courts.
■ SOCIETY
Film festival in Kaohsiung
This year’s Women Make Waves Film Festival moved to Kaohsiung yesterday for a six-day run during which 10 films by Taiwanese and foreign female directors will be screened. The films will be shown at the Kaohsiung Film Archive, and will be followed by panel discussions.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
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