■ Diplomacy
Japanese call for relations
A group of pro-Taiwan Japanese lawmakers from the Democratic Party (DP) said yesterday that they will promote bilateral exchanges with Taiwan. The DP Diet members' Alliance for Japan-Taiwan Friendship said in a resolution that it will be dedicated to promoting friendship with Taiwan, and will organize a group to visit the nation soon and strengthen exchanges. The group, which is comprised of 50 lawmakers from the lower house and 17 from the upper house, passed the resolution at its annual conference during which the participants also voted for Motohisa Ikeda, a lawmaker from the lower house, to serve as the new president. Ko Se-kai (許世凱), Taiwan's representative to Japan, and deputy represent-ative Chen Hung-chi (陳鴻基) also addressed the meeting saying that they conveyed the condolences of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Premier Yu Shyi-kun on the earth-quakes recently in Niigata Prefecture.
■ Travel
Taichung-Japan flights set
Mandarin Airlines, in coop-eration with Chingchuankang (CCK) International Airport in Taichung County, will provide two charter flights to Shikoku, Japan next month, a government official said yesterday. According to the spokesman for the central coordination service center under the Executive Yuan, the charter flights to Japan are a follow up to the enthusiastic response to the Seoul service by Mandarin Airlines launched by the airport this month. The two charter flights for Shikoku are scheduled for for Nov. 13 and Nov. 20. The Seoul flights marked the start of international air travel service for the airport, which opened in early March.
■ Zoology
Taipei hosts breeding meet
The Taipei Zoo is hosting the 2004 joint annual conference of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), running from yesterday through Thursday, said a spokesman for the zoo. More than 200 zoo presidents and animal conservationists from over 40 countries took part in the opening yesterday, a prominent event that coincided with an ongoing art festival being held through January next year, including exhibitions of wild animal posters and worldwide zoo presentations, in Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system galleries, the spokesman said. According to the zoo official, the CBSG, composed of global conservationists and experts dedicated to biodiversity, is affiliated to the World Conservation Union ICUN's Species Survival Commission.
■ Cross-strait Ties
MAC urges flight talks
The Mainland Affairs Council urged China yesterday to authorize appropriate person or persons to negotiate with Taiwan for the opening of direct charter flights across the Taiwan Strait during the Lunar New Year holiday. Council Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) made the call during a regular news conference. Chiu said the government has demon-strated goodwill and flexibility toward the proposal for carriers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to operate direct non-stop charter flights during the Feb. 6 to Feb. 13 holiday. "We are hopeful that neither side would set any political prerequisite for negotiations about such holiday charter flight services for the convenience of Taiwanese businesspeople operating in China intending to return home for family reunions," Chiu said, adding that the council would name a proper person or persons to discuss relevant technical details with Taiwan as early as possible.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
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