CROSS-STRAIT
No joint centenary: Sheng
Taiwan yesterday ruled out joining China in celebrating the upcoming centenary of the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC), an event hailed as an historical milestone by both Taipei and Beijing. “Given the differences between the two sides, it would be unlikely for us to host joint celebrations,” Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) said in English to a group of foreign reporters in Taipei. Taiwan is gearing up for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the ROC, which was on Jan. 1, 1912, after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Sheng said the differences in political systems in China and Taiwan would make joint celebrations impossible.
DIPLOMACY
Global inclusion sought
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday solicited the support of allies in Taiwan’s bids for participation in UN activities. Taiwan hopes to take part in events hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and in meetings on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ma said. He addressed Taiwan’s bids for access to the two world bodies during a meeting at the Presidential Office with visiting UN representatives of Palau, Tuvalu, Belize and El Salvador. Those nations are among the 23 countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Speaking of the ICAO bid, Ma said Taiwan has among the busiest air traffic in East Asia and should have closer contacts with the civil aviation regulatory body, as such links would facilitate the development of the industry and its efforts to promote air safety. In terms of the UNFCCC, Ma said that in the face of extreme weather trends that have made Taiwan more vulnerable to natural disasters, the country would very much like to have UNFCCC links.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition