■ Culture
Festival starts tomorrow
Featuring local and international urban folk artists ranging from Wubai and Chinablue to Frente and Daniel Powter, the two-day Urban Simple Life festival begins tomorrow. The festival, sponsored by Council of Cultural Affairs and the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs, concludes on Sunday at Huashen Culture Park. More than 40 artists and bands have been invited to perform unplugged and the festival also features street market with booths showcasing arts and crafts, and forums at which writers and artists share their life experiences. Tickets cost NT$800 if bought in advance and NT$1,000 on the spot. For more information, call the park at 02-3343-6376.
■ Immigration
Exchange regulations eased
The government has decided to further relax regulations on the number of Chinese citizens visiting Taiwan for business purposes at the invitation of local companies or Taiwan-based foreign corporations, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) reported yesterday. The ceiling on the number of Chinese citizens each company is allowed to invite has been raised from 30 to 50 a year. The MOI consulted with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, and the Mainland Affairs Council before finalizing the revisions, MOI officials said. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has been authorized to oversee the matter, MOI officials said.
■ Politics
MOFA dismisses report
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official yesterday dismissed a story in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday which said US President George W. Bush had asked Morris Chang (張忠謀), President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) personal envoy to APEC, to convey his misgivings about Chen's push for constitutional reform and had also questioned Chen's credibility. The report said Bush made the comments to Chang when he met him during the APEC summit held in Hanoi two weeks ago. John Chen (陳忠), director-general of the Department of International Organizations, who also was one of the most senior officials in charge of Taiwan's participation at the summit, said the report in the Hong Kong newspaper was erroneous.
■ Politics
DPP legislator pans Luo
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) yesterday criticized former colleague Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) for being ungrateful towards President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). "The time, place and person were all wrong [when the comments where made]," Gao said. "Although the party respects members' differing opinions, Luo should appreciate the fact that he bears the `original sin' [of a close relationship with Chen] and should expect consequences," he said. Gao said he agreed with Luo's insistence that the DPP reflect on recent events, but as Luo's comments had drawn such strong criticism from party members, Gao said that Luo might be the one who should engage in reflection. Luo, a former protege of Chen, said on ETTV on Monday that he believed Chen did not intend to embezzle money from his the Presidential Office "state affairs fund," but made the mistake of lying to try and cover up for inconsistencies in the case. Luo is scheduled to return to Taipei tomorrow. He has been attending a short-term study program at Harvard University since he lost the election for Taipei County commissioner last December.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
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