Visiting former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairwoman Therese Shaheen yesterday warned that legislative delays to the Ministry of National Defense's NT$610.8 million (US$19.1 billion) arms budget would have a negative impact on the nation's security.
Shaheen arrived in Taipei yesterday for a week-long visit and is scheduled to meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) tomorrow, officials said.
PHOTO: TONY YAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Shaheen, now president of the US-Asia Commercial Development Corp, a Washington-based firm with a major presence in Taiwan, is visiting as a private citizen.
Shaheen's company specializes in Asian market entry, international joint ventures and acquisitions, capital investment and technology development. The firm's focus is in telecommunications, submarine cables and semiconductors, primarily in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
Shaheen told reporters that she would like to meet Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
China has consistently increased its weapons budget, she said, adding that Taiwan's defense capability was lagging behind that of China.
Flying in from South Korea, Shaheen told reporters at CKS Airport that she was very happy to be in Taiwan again, and she lauded the nation's democratization.
Taiwan has contributed a lot to the world, and its democratization deserved the attention of the international community, she said.
Noting that her trip was of a private nature, Shaheen said she was informed of the death on Monday of Koo Chen-fu (
Expressing her condolences, Shaheen said Koo was an elegant gentleman who made a great contribution to Taiwan.
This trip is Shaheen's second visit to Taiwan since she stepped down as AIT chairwoman last April. She is expected to discuss Taiwan-US relations and other international developments with Chen Shui-bian.
"We welcome her visit. She treated us really well when President Chen visited New York," Mark Chen told reporters on Tuesday, referring to the US' warm reception of the president at a stopover during his overseas tour in 2003.
Shaheen said she had brought a gift for Chen Shui-bian's second grandson, who was born last month.
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
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
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
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS