■ Diplomacy
Lee awaiting word from US
The US will approve the appointment of Taiwan's top representative to Brussels David Lee (李大維) to head the representative office in Washington as soon as next week, well-placed sources in the US capitol said. Lee, who is currently in Taipei and presented a report on Taiwan-EU relations to the legislature yesterday, was tight-lipped about a new appointment. He has previously said he might be replacing Chen Chien-jen (程建人) in Washington in July if the US accepts him. In his legislative report, Lee invited Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislators Lin Chung-mo (林重謨) and Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to visit Washington after he officially takes up the job. Legislators encouraged Lee to be more than the Presidential Office's "fax machine" and to skillfully sell the government's ideas to the US.
■ Cabinet
Lai considers health post
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Ching-te (賴清德) confirmed yesterday that Department of Health Director-General Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) had invited him to replace Lee Long-teng (李龍騰), the department's outgoing deputy director-general. However, Lai said yesterday after meeting Chen that although the opportunity was hard to turn down, he already had plans to run for re-election in December's elections. Lai has asked for a couple of days to make a decision. Lai, a graduate of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine, holds a master's degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and is a member of the Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare committee in the legislature.
■ Politics
Shih no legislator-at-large
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德) yesterday denied he would accept an arrangement to be a legislator-at-large for the People First Party (PFP), saying the PFP has misused his title for self-promotion. PFP Legislator Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) yesterday pointed out that Shih, who is a visiting scholar at George Mason University in the US, would not rule out the possibility of taking up the position of PFP legislator-at-large, along with former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). The PFP, which supports the Cabinet system, said Shih has previously met with Soong to discuss cooperation to promote the system in the future. However, an aide of Shih's who wished not to be named, yesterday flatly rejected the speculation, quoting Shih as saying that "he would never accept the arrangement." The aide said Shih was supportive of the Cabinet system and would return to Taiwan next month to work with President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) constitutional project to promote the adoption of the system. But Shih would never consider accepting any offer from the PFP.
■ Diplomacy
Chinese negotiator invited
Taiwan issued an invitation yesterday to China's top negotiator Wang Daohan (汪道涵) to visit the island, in an effort to restart stalled talks between the two countries. "We welcome Wang Daohan to visit Taiwan and meet with Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) (Taiwan's top negotiator). There will be no restriction regarding whom Wang wants to see, what topics he wants to discuss and where he wants to go," said Wu Chao-hsieh (吳釗燮), chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
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