OPINION
Tsai rejects opinion piece
The office of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday disputed an opinion piece by presidential confidant Chen Chang-ven (陳長文), published by the Chinese-language China Times, saying that Chen “did not get the facts right” in his comparison of Tsai and incoming Mainland Affairs Council minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦). In the opinion piece, Chen defended President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) appointment of Wang, 43, as the top China policy-maker and said that criticism which claimed Wang was too young for the job and was appointed simply by virtue of his relationship with Ma was dumbfounded and irrational. Citing Tsai as an example, Chen said that the inexperienced Tsai was 44 years old when she was appointed MAC chairperson in 2000 and “had accomplished nothing during her tenure.” Most criticism against Wang came from the pan-blue camp, not the DPP, and was targeted at Wang’s expertise, not his age,” Tsai’s spokesperson Hung Yao-fu (洪耀福) said in a press release. Tsai had more than a dozen years of experience on international negotiations — a crucial skill for a China policymaker — under her belt when she was named MAC chair in 2000, which set her aside from Wang, Hung said.
SOCIETY
Award winner writes poem
Nepalese writer Jhamak Ghimire, who was born with cerebral palsy and writes and paints with her feet, wrote a poem on Sunday to express her love for Taiwan before she departed for home. “I feel Taiwan’s love with an open heart,” Ghimire wrote before boarding for her plane at Taoyuan International Airport. She also wrote that although she has “an unknown journey that lies ahead,” she will face it with the love she has received. Ghimire was in Taiwan to receive the Fervent Global Love of Life Medal that honored her perseverance in her battle against the disease. The award was issued by the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation. She also received medical check-ups at Landseed Hospital in Taoyuan during her stay in Taiwan. Ghimire took 10 boxes of second-hand jackets with her that will be distributed to underprivileged children in Nepal on behalf of foundation founder Chou Chin-hua (周進華).
TRAVEL
Hong Kong attracts tourists
More than 27,000 Taiwanese submitted online pre-arrival registration details to visit Hong Kong in the first two weeks since the online service became available earlier this month, according to the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong government. In order to attract more Taiwanese tourists, the Hong Kong Tourism Bureau has cooperated with air carriers and travel agencies in formulating a program to allow Taiwanese to visit Hong Kong as independent travelers with competitive prices. It was reported on Sunday that Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang (曾俊華) could explore the possibility of reciprocal tax immunity for sea carriers with Taiwan during his visit to Taipei on Monday. John Leung (梁志仁), director of the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei said Tsang would visit Taipei in his capacity as the honorary chairperson of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council to attend a conference of the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council today. Leung said Hong Kong is more than willing to negotiate with Taiwan on a free trade agreement but this issue is not on Tsang’s agenda of talks with Taiwan.
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