BEIJING RHETORIC: Hu said that while `new and positive factors' appear to have cut support for Taiwan's formal independence, it would never be allowed to `secede'
China won't tolerate formal independence for Taiwan, President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) said yesterday as the National People's Congress (NPC) prepared to enact an "anti-secession" law.

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SHOPPING TRIP: A five-member delegation plans to hunt down weaponry for the US military, though any orders are a long way off
By Charles Snyder
A US Department of Defense mission arrives in Taipei today for a three-day visit that could open the way for the US purchase of Taiwanese weapons technology for the first time.

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By Joy Su
Chinese President Hu Jintao's (胡錦濤) comments on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent reiteration of his "four noes" can be seen as the first exchange of dialogue between the two leaders, Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said yesterday.

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After covering 37,000km in 67 hours, Steve Fossett was ready for a bath, a good meal and a nap. First, though, he had some champagne to sip.

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Martha Stewart, released after five months in a West Virginia prison, arrived at her multimillion-dollar 62 hectare New York estate early yesterday to begin serving the home detention portion of her sentence for lying about a stock sale.

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