■ Defense
US concerned over arms
US officials have expressed concern over the delay in the arms procurement plan, saying it threatened Taiwan's security. During recent meetings with a group of visiting Taiwanese journalists, many US officials, members of Congress and academics raised similar questions regarding what they see as Taiwan's inability to reach a consensus on the arms procurement plan and show the US its resolve to defend itself from a Chinese invasion. The Cabinet-proposed NT$480 billion (US$15.33 billion) arms procurement package -- which includes 12 P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries and eight diesel-electric submarines -- has been blocked by the opposition-controlled legislature for two consecutive sessions. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party have picked at the high price tag of the deal and the way the procurement is budgeted.
■ Cross-strait ties
Fruit export talks to be held
The government will hold unofficial talks with China on Taiwanese fruit exports, local media reported yesterday. "The World Health Organization [WHO] will hold a working meeting in Hong Kong next month. Taiwan and Chinese representatives will hold unofficial talks on fruit export to China," Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) quoted Tai Cheng-yao (戴振耀), deputy director of the Department of Agriculture, as saying. "Through the consultation, we hope to sign an agreement with China on the export of Taiwan fruits to China," Tai said. China made a series of goodwill gestures to Taiwan after two opposition leaders visited Beijing in late April and early May. China's offer included two giant pandas, allowing the import of fruits and letting Chinese tourists visit Taiwan. China said it would open its market to 18 kinds of fruit and exempt tariffs on 12 of them.
■ Politics
KMT, PFP to work together
A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) official suggested yesterday that the nominees of the KMT and its People First Party (PFP) ally for the year-end city and county chief elections coordinate with each other to produce a joint candidate for each city and county. Liao Feng-teh (廖風德), director of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee, made the suggestion when he spoke on how to coordinate the candidates of the KMT and the PFP. Both parties have decided to start to talk about cooperation in the year-end elections on June 22, when the two parties will have decided their candidates for the elections. Liao said that the KMT has prepared its own integration mechanism for the two parties and that it will consider whether to conduct public and party opinion polls or consult opinion leaders among the candidates of the two parties.
■ Politics
DPP to work on consensus
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will invite mayors and commissioners from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as well as the heads of the DPP chapters in cities and counties around the country to a tea party on Tuesday, a lawmaker said yesterday. Lai Ching-te (賴清德), a DPP legislative whip, said the informal meeting at the Taipei Guest House is aimed at forging intra-party consensus on strategy for the year-end local government chiefs elections. President Chen has organized four similar meetings with DPP legislators since May 18 to explore lawmakers' views on major policy issues.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
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