In an interview with CNN yesterday, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Taiwan's bid to gain observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected for a seventh time on Monday thanks to an unprecedented effort led by China's Vice Premier and Minister of Health Wu Yi (
In the interview with CNN reporter Mike Chinoy, Lien said that China's move to block Taiwan from the international health body had hurt the feelings of the Taiwanese.
In recounting Lien's remarks made during the half-hour interview at KMT headquarters, party spokesman Alex Tsai (
Noting that SARS is a problem not just for Taiwan but also for the international community, Lien said the two sides of the Strait should respect each other and work together to fight this common threat.
"It is a new era with new challenges surfacing. We hope that Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), being China's new leader, would muster new courage and adopt a new mind-set when tackling these events," Tsai quoted Lien as saying.
China completed a leadership transition in mid-March during which Hu assumed the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the presidency of China.
When asked to comment on the Chen Shui-bian (
Nonetheless, Lien said that, given the DPP administration's lack of experience, it acted in somewhat of a frenzy and state of confusion in the early stages of the outbreak.
"We hope the government will soon get its act together in the fight against the disease," Lien said.
When asked if SARS would impact his presidential campaign, Lien said the disease is a separate issue and stressed that fighting the outbreak is a task that must be carried out regardless of party affiliation.
Lien will run for president in next year's elections.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
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