President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
"The claim that Stone is acting as our emissary or special envoy is unfounded," Chen said yesterday. The president-elect was responding to reporters who were bombarding him with questions on the veracity of the Post article.
"There are many people flying between China and Taiwan hoping to do something for peace across the Strait. Whoever they are, I appreciate their efforts and do not question their motivation," Chen said. "But the fact is, I didn't send Stone to Beijing."
The Washington Post reported on April 1 that Jeremy J. Stone, president of the Federation of American Scientists, was in China as an "unofficial representative" for Chen.
Before departing for China, Stone is said to have spent several days in Taiwan, during which he met with Chen and Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (
Hsiao Bi-khim (
"He is representing himself," Hsiao said.
Hsiao also said that it would be contradictory for leaders in Beijing to call for acceptance of their view of "one China" before cross-strait talks could begin while currently entertaining Stone as a Taiwan envoy.
"It's strange that sources cited in the report were actually from Beijing," Hsiao said.
"We've been trying to find ways to contact and communicate with China. But there are obstacles to overcome first, as Beijing has insisted on the "one China" policy as a precondition for any contact or negotiations," he said.
Following his victory on March 18, the president-elect has said that maintaining national security is at the top of his agenda during the transition period leading up to his inauguration on May 20.
Following Chen's recent visits with major defense and intelligence leaders, yesterday he turned his attention to the police, visiting several stations in Taipei and expressing his appreciation for the hard work the officers had put in during the election campaign.
Meanwhile, Chen and Minister of National Defense Tang Fei (
Amid a flurry of speculation, Chen said he will release the names of his appointees by the end of April so that the new faces can prepare before the May 20 inaugural day.
"We need to get familiar with the current situation so that we can have a well-prepared and fresh start after I am sworn in," Chen said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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