■ Taipei zoo
Fund-raising plan to debut
The Taipei Zoo will kick off an animal adoption campaign on Wednesday in the hope of promoting the concept of animal protection among its 4 million annual visitors. The annual fee for individuals willing to take part in the campaign is NT$1,000 (US$29), while groups will pay NT$200,000. Proceeds will be used by the zoo authorities or other research teams to study wildlife protection and conversation both at home and abroad. According to measures approved by the Taipei City Government, 21 rare and endangered species, including indigenous Formosan bears, Formosan macaques, Formosan rabble fish and spotted dears, as well as non-native species such as Asian elephants, koalas and white rhinos, will be covered.
■ Politics
Sovereignty issue raised
A group of politicians and academics urged the government yesterday to take concrete measures to protect the nation's sovereignty over the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands. In a seminar on the Japan's leasing of the Tiaoyutai Islands, participants claimed that the island group is "definitely part of Chinese territory, based on historical and geographical considerations." Soong Yen-hui (宋燕輝), a researcher at the Academia Sinica, and Yu Kuan-shih (俞寬賜), a professor at National Taiwan University, said that the Japan intends to imply its sovereignty over the islands by leasing them. The government should take concrete measures to cope with the Japanese move. The seminar, organized by the Chinese Society of International Law, was chaired by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the society's president. Legislator Chou Shi-wei (周錫瑋) and the government's representative to Japan, Lin Chin-ching (林金莖), also attended the meeting.
■ Economics
Panama talks set for March
The third round of negotiations for a free-trade agreement between Taiwan and Panama will be held in Panama City from March 17 to 21. Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Ruey-long (陳瑞隆) will lead Taipei's delegation to the negotiations. ROC Ambassador to Panama C. Y. Hu (胡正堯) told CNA that a free-trade agreement would facilitate the development of trade relations between the two countries.
■ Cross-strait ties
Better climate needed
The government should move swiftly to improve its investment climate in view of China's magnet effect in pulling in foreign investment, Council for Economic Planning and Development Vice Chairwoman Ho Mei-yue (何美玥) said yesterday. Ho said this country should upgrade and enhance its functions in order to provide foreign investors with an unfettered and sound investment climate. Citing a study by Germany's Deutsch Bank, Ho said opening direct links next year would help businesses slash 50 percent of transport fees and 30 percent in financial transaction charges. Direct links would also help create a 2.5 percent economic growth rate for this country between next year and 2008, she said. Ho said the government has drawn up countermeasures to minimize the negative impact of agricultural and farm products from China on local produce. Ho said that if the nation were to improve its investment climate, including lowering transport costs for cross-strait travel and expanding airlinks network, it would have a stronger appeal than China as an operational hub.
■ Diplomacy
German delegation arrives
A nine-member German parliamentarian delegation, headed by George Fahrenschon, arrived yesterday for a week-long visit. The group is expected to meet with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and other senior government officials to exchange views on bilateral ties and other international matters. They will also visit several economic and cultural establishments, including the National Palace Museum. Other delegates include Stephan Mayer of the Bundestag and Alexander Radwan, a member of the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Cardinal Zenon Crocholewski, the Vatican's minister for education affairs, was due to arrive yesterday for a six-day visit. Crocholewski will also meet with the president during his stay.
■ Energy policy
Energy trip a success
The government will push for a nuclear-free policy that seeks clean alternative sources of energy and will lead to the phasing out of nuclear power plants, Minister Without Portfolio Yeh Jun-jong (葉俊榮) said yesterday. Yeh made the remarks upon his return from a week-long visit to Germany at the head of a Nuclear-Free Homeland Promotion Commission delegation. Yeh said he learned a lot from Germany's experience in developing environmentally friendly technology. He said the delegation met with the federal vice minister of environment and other high-ranking officials and nuclear energy experts. Yeh said the commission will organize a national conference this spring to discuss non-nuclear development and the government will draw up a new direction for the nation's energy development.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
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