Lawmakers blasted officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials yesterday for what they described as "transgressing" their bounds by responding to a request from Vice President Annette Lu (
Vice Foreign Minister Wu Tzu-dan (吳子丹) apologized for the incident at a legislative committee meeting, saying that he, together with Chiou Jong-nan (邱榮男) and Lan Chih-min (藍智民) -- the government's other two vice foreign ministers -- were called by Lu to meet her in her office on the morning of May 3. But Wu declined to reveal details of the meeting, adding that it was up to the Presidential Office to explain to the public the details of the meeting.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
New Party legislator Elmer Fung (
"If you want me to make an apology, I can make an apology," Wu said.
KMT Legislator Chu Li-luan (
"A fall in the pit, a gain in your wit. With such a `wonderful' experience this time," similar things will not happen again, Wu replied in a rather satirical tone, triggering laughter from the roomful of reporters, government officials and legislators.
In earlier replies to other lawmakers, Wu and Lan said Lu's office had notified them of the meeting by telephone and they did not report to Tien, who was then on an overseas trip, prior to the meeting because they saw no urgency in the matter.
But legislators such as Lee Shangren (
Lee's reference of Lu as an "alien" refers to wording in Lu's upcoming new book entitled The true words to Taiwan -- the first year of Vice President Annette Lu.
In the book, Lu says her difficult situation in the government is only natural because both the media and the president's close aides have considered her "an alien."
Chen Che-nan (
Local media have reported that Lu has overstepped her authority in the past year by calling high-ranking officials from the Cabinet to her office to discuss national affairs.
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
VIOLATION OF NORMS: China’s CCTV broadcast claimed that Beijing could use Interpol to issue arrest warrants, which the MAC slammed as an affront to order The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for attempts to intimidate Taiwanese through “transnational repression.” The council issued the remarks after state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday during a news broadcast aired a video targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), threatening him with “cross-border repression” and saying: “Stop now, or you will be next,” in what Taipei officials said was an attempt to intimidate not only Shen, but also the broader Taiwanese public. The MAC in a statement condemned the threat, accusing Beijing of trying to instill fear and self-censorship among Taiwanese and
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