MEDIA
Olympics to be shown in HD
Five terrestrial television networks announced on Thursday they would deliver high-definition broadcasts of this year’s London Olympic Games, in line with the government’s implementation of a nationwide switch to digital broadcasting this summer. The five networks are China Television Co, Taiwan Television Enterprise, Chinese Television System, Formosa TV (FTV) and Taiwan Public Television Service. FTV general manager Chen Gang-sin (陳剛信) said starting on July 1 this year, the government would implement a nationwide switch to digital broadcasting, providing the public with better sound and viewing quality. “It would be a pity not to broadcast the green sports fields in high definition,” Chen said.
MEDIA
‘Seediq Bale’ comic planned
A French edition of the Seediq Bale comic by artist Chiu Ruo-lung (邱若龍) is to be released soon, an official of the company that is publishing the book said. Dominique Veret, editorial director of the France-based Akata publishing house, confirmed his company would translate the graphic novel into French. The book is to be launched during next year’s Angouleme International Comics Festival, Veret said. Chiu is the artistic director of the Taiwanese hit film Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, about an uprising by the Sediq Aboriginal tribe against Japanese rule in 1930 known as the Wushe Incident. Chiu’s Seediq Bale is the first time the historical event has been depicted in a graphic novel format.
DIPLOMACY
Friendship body established
The legislature established a body yesterday to promote friendship with the European parliament and encourage closer exchanges in the future. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) was named honorary chairman of the group — called the Republic of China-European Parliamentary Amity Association — and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) was made chairman. KMT Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), People First Party Legislator Thomas Lee (李桐豪) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) were named deputy chairmen of the body. Wang thanked the European parliament for supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and also for backing visa-waiver treatment for Taiwanese nationals in the Schengen Area. Lu said 66 of Taiwan’s 113 legislators are members of the friendship promotion group, and he expects the association to provide strong support to bilateral economic, tourism and cultural exchanges. Tamas Maczak, the deputy head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, said he was happy to see the establishment of the group.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all