■ POLITICS
Tsai warns Lu on China visit
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday that former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) should consider a number of political factors before deciding to visit China. Lu said last month she was thinking of visiting China in her capacity as the founder of her planned Formosa Post (玉山午報). Beijing said on Thursday that it would welcome any visitors from Taiwan as long as they embraced a peaceful approach to cross-strait relations. Tsai said that before considering a trip to China, Lu should evaluate the risks and be on guard against a possible “political plot” by Chinese authorities. Taiwanese political figures should be very prudent when dealing with China, as cross-strait relations are extremely complicated, Tsai said. “Taiwanese politicians should never let their guard down in cross-strait affairs,” because China has a bad reputation on such matters, Tsai said.
■ TOURISM
UK top source of visitors
The number of European tourists visiting Taiwan rose 34 percent last year, with the highest growth recorded in visitors from the UK, statistics released on Friday by the Taipei Tourism Office in Germany showed. Arrivals in Taiwan from Europe totaled 200,914 last year, an increase of 7.74 percent from the previous year, when there were 186,483 arrivals, said Thomas Chang (張維庭), director of the office, which is responsible for promoting Taiwan in Europe. The largest number of visitors from a single European country last year — 48,391 — were from the UK, a rise of 21 percent from 2007, when the figure was 39,968. At present, more than 30 British travel agencies are providing package tours to Taiwan, making Taiwan one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia among UK citizens, he said. Activities in Taiwan such as birdwatching, mountain climbing, hot spring baths, round-the-island tours and cruises are the most popular among British, he said.
■ WEATHER
Yushan receives snow
Snow fell yesterday on Yushan (玉山) — the highest peak in East Asia — and at 2pm accumulations had reached 26cm on the North Peak, the Central Weather Bureau’s Yushan station said in a report. The bureau said snow began falling on Yushan on Friday night and that temperatures later plunged to sub-zero levels as a cold front reached the country. There was light snowfall until yesterday morning, the weather station said, reporting that the temperature on Yushan was between minus 2.2˚C and minus 0.6˚C. Meanwhile, the Yushan National Park Administration reported more than 5cm of snow at Paiyun Lodge on Yushan’s North Peak.
■ POPULATION
Government releases data
Taiwan’s population was 23.05 million at the end of last month, the latest statistics made public by the Ministry of the Interior showed. Kinmen County recorded the largest growth at 4.255 percent over the previous year, followed by Hsinchu City with 1.629 percent and Hsinchu County with 1.487 percent. The biggest contraction — at 1.869 percent — was recorded on Matsu Island, Lienchiang County, followed by Taitung County at 0.727 percent. In terms of households, Taipei County had the largest number at 1.34 million, accounting for 17.52 percent of the country’s 7.68 million households. Taipei City had the second-highest number of households at 958,573, while Taoyuan County was third, with 638,810. Last month there were 17,159 births and 15,877 deaths, with 9,137 marriages and 4,947 divorces, statistics showed.
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