McCain over Dalai Lama

AFP
Go to Google News

People line up to see the Dalai Lama at Radio City Music Hall, New York
©2008 Google - Map data ©2008 AND, NFGIS, Europa Technologies - Terms of Use
China swipes at McCain over Dalai Lama meeting

3 hours ago

BEIJING (AFP) — China warned US presidential candidate John McCain on Monday to stop "supporting and conniving with" the Dalai Lama, saying that meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader hurt Sino-US relations.

The call came after the Republican hopeful met the Dalai Lama on Friday during the latter's visit to the United States, praising him as a "transcendent international role model and hero".

"China is seriously concerned about the report," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said according to a statement on the ministry's website, adding that the Tibet issue was China's domestic affair.

Liu urged Americans to recognise that the Dalai Lama was trying to separate China and was aiming to destroy social stability in the western region "under the cloak of religion".

They should "stop supporting and conniving with the Dalai Lama and the separatist forces for 'Tibet independence,'" a tactic Liu said was damaging Sino-US relations.

McCain has criticised China's record on human rights in Tibet, which was thrown into the international spotlight in March during a crackdown on protests against Chinese rule that began in the region's capital, Lhasa.

The protests spread to other parts of China with Tibetan populations, with the government-in-exile saying 203 Tibetans were killed in the crackdown.

Beijing insists that only one Tibetan was killed, and has in turn accused the "rioters" of killing 21 people.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" the remote Himalayan region.

The Dalai Lama fled his homeland in 1959 following a failed uprising and has since lived in exile in India.

China accuses him of being a separatist, but he insists he does not want independence for Tibet, seeking only greater autonomy for the Himalayan territory as well as an end to religious and cultural repression.
Hosted by Google
Copyright © 2008 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

Wake up, our sovereignty is at stake

Up Next

　

First Chinese tourists satisfied: survey

SUCCESSFUL START: There were only minor criticisms that the tours were overly hectic and some said they would have liked to have visited the tomb of pop singer Teresa Teng

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Friday, Jul 25, 2008, Page 4


An overwhelming majority of the first batch of Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan via weekend direct charter flights were satisfied with their tours, the results of a survey released on Wednesday showed.

The Tourism Bureau distributed 644 questionnaires to Chinese tourists who arrived in Taiwan on July 4 on the maiden cross-strait charter flights and collected 193 valid samples.

More than 90 percent of respondents gave either a “very good” or “good” rating for the treatment they received during their package tours and up to 87 percent rated as “very good” the quality of the coaches used and their drivers’ customer service skills.

Meanwhile, 91.19 percent of those surveyed said they were most impressed by their tour guides’ attitude, professionalism and communications skills, while 86.54 percent said they were satisfied with tour guides’ ability to deal with emergencies or unusual incidents.

Generally speaking, most Chinese tourists gave a positive review of local tour guides’ hospitality.

Asked about their views on the prices of goods at stores where the travel agencies had arranged for them to shop, more than 70 percent said prices were generally reasonable. Major items they bought at the shops included foodstuffs, snacks, gift items, clothing and coral jewelry.

Many respondents also identified late-night snacks, spas and local specialties as their favorite aspects of their tours.

The Chinese tourists gave a mixed response to the local dishes arranged for them by travel agencies. Some suggested the addition of one or two more spicy dishes, while others said they felt the local dishes were generally good.

Most tourists were also satisfied with their lodgings, saying hotel accommodation was more than adequate and clean.

Up to 58 percent of the tour groups that visited via the maiden weekend charter flights spent 12,000 yuan (US$1,750) on group tour fees, the survey showed.

On their tour itineraries, many tourists said they hoped to see the addition of visits to the tombs of pop singer Teresa Teng (鄧麗君) and former dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).

Some respondents said they felt their travel schedules were too hectic and that they planned to make longer trips in future or hoped to go backpacking. At present, Chinese tourists are only permitted to visit in tour groups.

　

　

Wake up, our sovereignty is at stake

By Paul Lin 林保華
Friday, Jul 25, 2008, Page 8


The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has released a statement rejecting comments by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been rushing into the relaxation of cross-strait policies and that the lack of clear accompanying measures to handle problems this could cause represent an unprecedented threat to Taiwan’s sovereignty.

The MAC said the majority of relaxed cross-strait policies promoted by the government had been promoted by the DPP government, and are in line with what the public wants and beneficial to Taiwan’s economic development.

Direct cross-strait charter flights and allowing a greater number of Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan are policies promulgated by the former government. However, Beijing chose to ignore them so that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could use them during his electoral campaign. In order to make these changes a reality, however, Beijing had to sacrifice agreements on chartered cargo flights negotiated with the DPP administration. In addition, the list of eight Chinese travel agencies monopolizing the market for visiting Taiwan had nothing to do with the DPP.

We can only thank the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party for this “development.”

Other relaxations also vary in principle with those promoted by the DPP government. The biggest difference is that the DPP never agreed to abandon the title “president.” Ma, however, has made a decision that may make dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), turn in their graves. Nor did the DPP administration ever recognize the so-called “1992 consensus.”

For its part, the KMT government does not even have the courage to mention “one China, with each side having its own interpretation.”

To facilitate direct flights, some local KMT government officials have disregarded national and personal dignity and openly rebuked Taiwan during their visits to China. When the KMT chairman and other senior party officials went to China, they were too afraid to uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty. On the other hand, DPP member and Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) said at the opening of Yunlin’s liaison office in Beijing that Taiwan and China were two separate countries. Based on this, it should not be too difficult to determine who cares more about Taiwan’s dignity.

Although the DPP administration also advocated relaxing restrictions on Taiwanese investment in China, Ma has gone overboard and removed the 40 percent cap on investment. He has also failed to explain the logic behind allowing Taiwanese businesses to set up factories using 12-inch wafer technology in China.

The DPP government refused to allow the Olympic torch onto Taiwanese soil on the grounds that Beijing insists on changing Taiwan’s Olympic title from “Chinese Taipei” to “Taipei, China” and because Beijing is constantly attacking Taiwan’s sovereignty. Before his election, Ma said he would consider boycotting the Olympics over China’s treatment of Tibet. However, two months later, his government was unable to provide a strong response to Beijing changing Taiwan’s name from “Chinese Taipei” to “Taipei, China,” with only the MAC vice chairperson speaking out.

Why did Ma step up when it came to allowing Chinese officials to address him as “Mr,” only to take a backseat when it comes to safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty?

While the DPP government strongly opposed recognizing academic qualifications from China, Ma has been heavily in favor. He also wants to allow Chinese students to study in Taiwan. No clear policies to deal with those moves have been proposed, leaving the government agencies that would have to deal with the ramifications scratching their head.

Caution will be in order when Chinese investors are allowed onto the Taiwanese stock market. The TAIEX has plummeted in recent months and Ma’s attempts at reviving it have been in vain. It was only when the stock exchange announced it would look into insider trading that the market finally stopped falling.

Political analyst Wang Kung-yi (王崑義) wrote on his blog: “Last week, I went to Hangzhou to take part in a large symposium organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office. Some people at the meeting who work for Taiwan-related departments told me that certain members of the KMT have told them the KMT will push Taiwan’s stock market down to 5,500 points so that Ma will be forced to reshuffle his Cabinet and get the members they want in office.”

Absent new policies, interest groups could very well control Taiwan’s stock market and countless Taiwanese could be bankrupted if the stock market is buffeted by Chinese and KMT insider trading.

It is high time Taiwanese realized the severity of the crisis we are facing.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in Taiwan.

　


'Smoke free' Games just a pipe dream

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has declared the Olympic Games will be ‘smoke free' and the municipal government has implemented a ban on smoking in public places, but that doesn't seem to discourage China's 350 million smokers
　

By Andrew Jacobs
NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE, BEIJING
Friday, Jul 25, 2008, Page 9

A smartly dressed man carried a lighted cigarette into the elevator of an upscale apartment building in Beijing one recent morning and something remarkable happened. A fellow passenger, a middle-aged woman with a pet Maltese tethered to her wrist, waved a hand in front of her face and produced a series of mannered coughs that had the desired effect — the man stepped on the cigarette and muttered an apology.

In a country where one in four people smoke, and where doctors light up in hospital hallways and health ministers puff away during meetings, it was a telling sign that a decade of halfhearted public campaigns against tobacco might finally be gaining traction.

In May, the municipal government banned cigarettes in schools, railway stations, office buildings and other public places. Chinese athletes are no longer permitted to accept tobacco company sponsorships. Cigarette advertising on billboards will be restricted during the Olympics. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) has declared that the Games will be “smoke free.”

Despite the new laws and proclamations, the impact might elude non-smoking visitors who arrive in the capital next month. Most restaurants remain shrouded in smoke, the air in clubs and bars can be asphyxiating and a year-old prohibition against lighting up in Beijing taxis has had little effect.

“If I point to the no-smoking sign, the passenger will just laugh and keep smoking,” said Hui Guo, a cab driver who does not smoke.

Government officials say that 100,000 inspectors have been dispatched to ticket smoking scofflaws, but the US$1.40 fine offers little deterrence, especially to the nouveau riche entrepreneurs who proudly brandish the gold-filtered Chunghua brand, which sells for US$10 a pack.

Li Baojun, the manager of a popular restaurant on Ghost Street, explained why he did not dare tell patrons to stop chain-smoking during meals.

“My customers would rather starve than not smoke and I would go out of business,” he said, as a thick pall hung over the diners. “In China, you cannot drink, eat and socialize without a cigarette.”

About 350 million of China’s 1.3 billion people are regular smokers — more than the entire population of the US — and even though 1.2 million people die each year from smoking-related causes, there is a widespread belief that cigarettes hold some health benefits. A cigarette in the morning is energizing, many smokers will declare, and even when confronted with scientific reason, they will cite Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), an inveterate smoker who lived to 92, and Mao Zedong (毛澤東), who lived to 82.

Health care workers are not exactly the best role models — more than half of all Chinese medical professionals smoke and a 2004 government survey of 3,600 doctors found that 30 percent did not know that smoking could lead to heart disease and circulation problems. Unlike cigarettes in much of the world, Chinese brands carry no health warning on labels, although that is scheduled to change in 2011.

Smoking with one hand and wielding a pair of chopsticks with the other, Li Na, 26, a secretary, was unapologetic as her two-year-old son sat next to her at a restaurant here enveloped in a bluish haze.

“If you overprotect your children, they don’t build their immunity,” she said. “Breathing a little smoke when they are small makes them stronger.”

At wedding parties, the bride often passes out Double Happiness brand cigarettes to guests, a tradition meant to enhance her fertility. Mourners at Chinese funerals are generously plied with smokes and a handful burned at the grave site is meant to satisfy the craving of the deceased.

When the police pull over a driver for a traffic infraction, a pack of cigarettes, not registration papers, is often the first thing pulled from the glove compartment. And during tough business negotiations, a round of smoking is an invaluable lubricant for a logjam.

“Cigarettes have an extra value in China that helps improve many social interactions,” said Tang Weichang (唐為昌), a researcher at the China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai, a pro-smoking institution financed by China’s tobacco industry.

Smoking here is largely a male pastime — more than 60 percent of all men smoke compared with 3 percent of women — and declining a cigarette is sometimes taken as an insult.

Guo Fei, a nonsmoker whose restaurant is largely smoke free, said he would often accept a proffered cigarette and later throw it away.

“To reject a cigarette would make them lose face,” he said.

The nation’s lukewarm efforts to curb smoking are complicated by the government’s control over the tobacco industry, which provides about US$31 billion in taxes each year, about 8 percent of the government’s revenue.

China produces a third of the world’s tobacco, with more than 400 domestic brands offered at Beijing’s ubiquitous tobacco shops. During a debate over anti-smoking measures last year, Zhang Baozhen (張保振), a vice director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, warned that “without cigarettes the country’s stability will be affected.”

Earlier this year, Beijing officials announced a ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, karaoke lounges and massage parlors, but that proposal, opposed by business interests, quickly died. The new law only encourages eating and drinking establishments to set aside nonsmoking areas — few restaurants have obliged.

It does not help that cigarettes are extremely cheap. Some of the more popular brands cost less than US$0.50 a pack. With less than 5 percent of the market, foreign brands like Marlboro and Camel have made little headway.

At Block 8, a fashionable Beijing nightclub, cigarettes dangled from the lips of half the patrons. The other half seemed to be taking a break from smoking, their cigarette packs set out before them.

Emma Cheung, 32, a magazine fashion editor, said smoking made her thin and fueled her creativity. She said she would support a ban on smoking indoors, but that she would not quit until co-workers did.

“Yes, I’m addicted, but so is everyone else at the office,” she said. “If we didn’t smoke, I don’t know how we would get anything done.”
　

Up Next

Chen kicked by protester at hearing

Up Next

　

Chen kicked by protester at hearing
　

TAKE THAT: Former president Chen Shui-bian was on his way to defend himself in a lawsuit, but first had to defend himself against a member of a pro-unification group
　

By Rich Chang and Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTERS
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008, Page 1
　

Police deliver Su An-sheng, a member of the Patriot Association, to Taipei’s Zhongzheng First Precinct Police Station after he was arrested yesterday for kicking former president Chen Shui-bian.


PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES

　

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was kicked as he entered the Taipei District Court yesterday to defend himself in a defamation lawsuit filed by personnel connected to the purchase of Lafayette frigates in 1990.

Lee Chin-tien (李金田), director of the Taipei City Police Department’s Zhongzheng First Precinct, said that as Chen entered the district court with security guards at 9:45am, a 65-year-old man named Su An-sheng (蘇安生) managed to get close enough to kick Chen in the hip.

Su was held by security guards and police officers arrested him and took him to a police station for questioning, Lee said.

The officer said that Su is a member of the pro-unification Patriot Association (愛國同心會).

He added that Su would be charged with causing bodily harm if Chen filed a lawsuit against him.

In the meantime, the Taipei District Court has detained Su for three days for violating the Social Order and Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法). Su can appeal the decision.

After the hearing, Chen went to the National Taiwan University Hospital, which said he may have suffered a fractured tailbone.

Chen’s appearance at the court marked the first time that a former president has been subpoenaed as a defendant in a criminal case.

Retired vice admiral and former chief of the Navy’s Shipbuilding Office Lei Hsueh-ming (雷學明), retired rear admiral Wang Chin-sheng (王琴生) and three others filed the suit against Chen, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator William Lai (賴清德) and former DPP legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) for allegedly claiming that Lei and the others accepted kickbacks in connection with the purchase of Lafayette-class frigates.

“The kickback scandal involving Lei Hsueh-ming and other generals has been pending in court and has been under prosecutorial investigation, and legal officials have not made a clear case for the nation. This scandal is so big, but the people related to the case said there is no scandal at all. Can you believe it?” Chen said before leaving the court.

Chen said it was ridiculous that the scandal had not been cleared up even as he and two DPP legislators were facing new legal action.

Lei yesterday told the judges that he did not take any money during the frigate procurement process and that Chen and the DPP lawmakers’ accusations were groundless.

Chen told the court he had simply questioned the flow of money and never alleged Lei or others had taken cash.

Chen said at a public function in December 2005 that Lei and several Naval officials had produced false performance data on Lafayette frigates and inflated the price of the vessels to manipulate the Navy’s 1990 purchase of frigates from France instead of from South Korea as planned.

Chen said that after 1990, a sum of US$20 million was discovered in a bank account held by Lei, and that this was proof of graft.

Lei then filed a suit against him.

Taipei prosecutors said the plan in 1988 had been to purchase frigates made in South Korea. The Republic of China Navy, however, in 1990 instead chose to purchase French-made Lafayette frigates, following a trip to France in 1989 by several military officials led by Lei.

A prosecutorial panel in 2001 indicted Lei and five other military officials for graft, accusing them of issuing false performance data for the frigates and inflating the price.

Both former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and former chief of general staff Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) were summoned as witnesses in a related trial in May after Lei told prosecutors that he had received instructions from his “superior” to purchase the French frigates, but did not state clearly whether it was the former president or Hau who gave the directive.

Andrew Wang (汪傳浦), the key suspect in the kickback scandal, fled the country following the murder of Navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) in 1993. Yin is believed to have been about to blow the whistle on colleagues taking kickbacks. Wang was charged in absentia with murder, corruption, money laundering and fraud.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) urged the public yesterday to remain calm and refrain from saying or doing anything that would cause unrest or incite political confrontation.

It was unfortunate that democratic elections had split the country and led to grudges, adding that the KMT was against any words or actions that bring social unrest or political confrontation, he said.

“We would like to see people cool down,” he said. “It is time for us to take a break, heal the wounds and focus our attention on improving the economy.”

He said that in a civilized society, every citizen was entitled to the freedom of speech, but any form of violence would not be tolerated.

Meanwhile, the DPP’s Taipei office condemned the breach in Chen’s security.

DPP Taipei City Councilor Chou Po-ya (周柏雅) asked President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to respond and for his administration to deal with the matter.

Describing himself as “saddened,” “surprised,” “angered” and “concerned” by what had happened, Chou said that no one had the right to treat other people violently, regardless of that person’s politics.

Chou said the National Security Bureau had done a poor job of protecting Chen’s safety and described the assault as a humiliation for democracy and human rights. He also expressed concern for society as a whole, which he described as being characterized by anti-democracy and disrespect for human rights.

The National Security Bureau apologized to Chen in a press release at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and demanded that a special task force conduct a review of the incident.

The bureau said Chen had been pushed by the crowd.

After being informed of the incident, bureau Director Tsai Chao-ming (蔡朝明) immediately checked with Chang Chun-po (張春波), the security department chief at the presidential residence, for details.

Tsai said that Chen had changed his route at the last minute and got out of the car at the main gate of the court on Boai Road, thus leading to a confrontation with the protesters.

　

　

　

　

Impress with democracy

Already the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is forgetting just what Taiwan stands for and offers the world. “The mainlanders will be our guests,” Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said.

“I hope we can work together to impress them with the Taiwanese people’s good nature, politeness, passion and hospitality,” he said.

What about impressing Chinese tourists with democracy, freedom of the press, of religion, of association, of the Internet, to demonstrate, to travel, to criticize the government, the right to privacy and the guarantee of due process of law and a host of other concepts that the tourists may not know even exist?

What about impressing Chinese tourists with the real story about how China is, not how China presents itself to its people through propaganda, restricted access to the Internet and tyranny?

Giving Chinese a good impression of Taiwan is certainly a good strategy. But for oppressed people, just being able to see these things in the newspapers and on TV will open their eyes.

But if the premier has trouble speaking up about the essence of freedom in Taiwan, how can the Chinese judge us? I suspect the government’s plan is to shield Chinese tourists from such things.

Such as no Internet at hotels where Chinese tourists stay because they might find out that the Internet is free and you can type any word and get results. TV will likely be restricted too, with stations critical of China or Taiwan’s government being blocked.

Lee Long-hwa
New York

　

Up Next

as helicopter crashes into building

Up Next

　

Two soldiers die as helicopter crashes into building
　

LOST CONTROL: At 10:10am, the helicopter asked the control tower for permission to land, but one minute later it had crashed into a residential building in Lungtan
　

By Rich Chang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Jul 17, 2008, Page 1
　

Soldiers remove the wreckage of an army AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter after it hit a residential building in Lungtan Township, Taoyuan County, yesterday. Two pilots died in the crash, the defense ministry said.
　

PHOTO: AFP


Two soldiers died yesterday after their army helicopter crashed into a building in Lungtan Township (龍潭), Taoyuan County, Ministry of National Defense officials said.

The AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter hit a four-story building before falling to the street below at 10:11am.

Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Yu Chien-wen (喻建文), 41, and copilot Captain Lee Huang-yu (李黃宇), 27, were both trapped in the cabin of the helicopter.

They were removed from the wreckage and taken to Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital after rescuers used hydraulic equipment to pry open the cabin.

An army press statement said the helicopter took off at 9:38am from its base in Lungtan to perform a routine training mission around the Lungtan and Pingchen Township (平鎮) area.

At 10:10am, the helicopter asked the control tower for permission to land, but one minute later it crashed into the residential building.

The statement said the helicopter did not issue an emergency call before it crashed.

The army has launched an investigation into the incident.

The helicopter had been in service for 14 years.

Chief of the General Staff General Huo Shou-yeh (霍守業) told reporters at the hospital yesterday afternoon that Yu was an outstanding and experienced pilot, adding that according to witnesses, the crew had tried to pull up so that the chopper would not hit the building, and they had done their best.

Huo said Yu had 1,792 hours of flight experience, while Lee had completed 450 hours.

“We regret that we lost two outstanding pilots,” Huo added.

The AH-1W helicopter team was established in 1993.

Yesterday’s incident marked the third accident involving members of the helicopter team.

The armed forces has 61 AH-1W helicopters, which were procured from the US.

The army also said that it would compensate the owner of the building for losses resulting from the damage.

　

　

KMT caucus rejects tax-refund review
　

CONFLICT: The DPP argued that the proposal would be more effective in boosting demand, but the KMT said it would run counter to the Cabinet’s stimulus package
　

By Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Jul 17, 2008, Page 3

The pan-blue-dominated legislature yesterday rejected a motion by the opposition to fast-track review of a proposal aimed at turning half of the Cabinet’s special budget request into a budget for tax refunds to spur domestic demand.

The tax refund bill proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus would have allowed taxpayers with an annual income of NT$495,000 (US$16,300) or less to receive a tax refund of NT$6,000 from last year’s tax returns.

The proposal would also have provided couples who earn NT$995,000 or less a year with another NT$6,000 in refunds and an additional NT$4,000 for each of their dependents.

The DPP caucus asked that the proposal be allowed to skip preliminary review, arguing that the measure would be more effective in expanding domestic demand than the stimulus package introduced by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet has proposed a special budget of NT$130.1 billion (US$4.28 billion) to help local governments finance a variety of spending programs, with a view to raising GDP growth by 0.45 points to 4.78 percent this year.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) said yesterday that the DPP proposal conflicted with the Cabinet’s proposal to boost domestic demand.

He said the KMT caucus hoped to discuss the issue with DPP and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union caucuses in the next legislative session in September if the public and the government both supported the tax refund idea.

In related developments, the legislature resolved after a cross-party negotiation to postpone discussion of a proposal that would allow farmers to choose whether to join the national pension system at the first plenary meeting of the next legislative session on Sept. 23.

The pension program will be launched on Oct. 1.

However, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) expressed concern that the government might not have enough time to inform farmers of the new regulation if the legislature approved the proposal on Sept. 23.

Wu said conflict could ensue if the government failed to promote better public understanding of the measure, adding that he was “very, very worried.”

Meanwhile, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and two high-ranking Cabinet officials visited Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday to solicit his help in passing several major budget requests before the current legislative session ends tomorrow.

Joined by Vice Premier Paul Chiu (邱正雄) and Cabinet Secretary-General Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川), Liu told Wang that the central government hoped to win the legislature’s full support for the state-run enterprises’ budget requests, the central government’s request for an additional NT$45.5 billion budget and the premier’s National Communications Commission (NCC) nominees.

“The legislature will deal with these proposals in the next few days. We acknowledge their significance and hope to gain the Legislative Yuan’s support,” he said when approached by reporters.

Wang said the legislature was expected to discuss the budget requests during the plenary session today since cross-party negotiations on the requests had been completed.

As for the NCC nomination list, Wang said the premier should lead the nominees in seeking support from legislators.

　

　

S Korea to continue ban on tours to North
　

SOURING RELATIONS: South Korea has demanded that North Korea guarantee the safety of tourists after a holidaymaker was shot on Friday. Pyongyang blames Seoul

AFP, SEOUL
Thursday, Jul 17, 2008, Page 5

South Korea said yesterday its ban on tours to a North Korean resort will stay in force until Pyongyang gives firm safety guarantees, following the shooting of a holidaymaker that shocked the nation.

“The tourism at Mount Kumgang cannot resume ... unless we secure a firm guarantee of the safety of tourists,” said South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who called last Friday’s fatal shooting intolerable and demanded a joint probe into it.

Mount Kumgang earns the impoverished North tens of millions of dollars each year.

A soldier shot a 53-year-old housewife who strayed into a closed military area adjoining the resort, further souring relations between the neighbors.

The North cut official ties with the South earlier this year and refuses to let it send government investigators to the scene. It blames Seoul for the tragedy, while expressing regret at the death.

“North Korea should immediately comply with a joint investigation by the South and the North,” said Lee, as quoted by his spokesman.

The president said the South’s government and civilians had provided “massive aid” to the communist state over the past decade, including through Kumgang.

“It is intolerable that, for whatever reason, North Korea has shot and killed an unarmed civilian tourist,” he said.

The unification ministry, in a message that the North refuses to receive, has called the case a “shocking and clear-cut violation” of agreements guaranteeing the safety of southern tourists.

The North said the woman, who was taking a dawn stroll on the beach near her hotel, had gone “beyond the clearly marked boundary fence” and intruded deep into a military area.

According to a report seen by tour boss Yoon Man-joon, the North says its soldier told Park Wang-ja three times: “Stop or I shoot.” It says he then fired a warning shot before aiming three rounds at her. She was hit at least twice and died on the beach.

The report was disclosed by Yoon, president of Hyundai Asan, which developed and operates the Kumgang resort and other projects aimed at reconciliation. He returned on Tuesday from a four-day visit to the North.

Explaining the delay in notifying the tour operator of the killing, the North reportedly said it had not been immediately able to identify Park as a tourist since she had no identification papers.

The Seoul government has set up an investigation team to interview local witnesses to the tragedy. It was due to make an interim report later yesterday.

Inter-Korean relations have worsened since Lee took office in February, promising a tougher line on Pyongyang. Despite the killing, Lee last Friday offered to enter dialogue with the North, who rebuffed the proposal.

　

　

　

Up Next

stand up for Taiwan

Up Next

　

　

　

US should still stand up for Taiwan
　

By Paul Lin 林保華
Monday, Jun 30, 2008, Page 8

The US broke its silence on relations with Taiwan when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a press conference stressing that Washington has a strong relationship with Taiwan. This seemed to imply that the US is trying to keep Taiwan’s government from giving up its relationship with the US in exchange for closer ties with China.

Derek Mitchell, an expert in Asian security with the International Security Program (ISP) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, has said that in terms of future cross-strait relations, China has a much greater responsibility than Taiwan. Mitchell also encouraged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to speak out against Beijing’s stance on US military sales to Taiwan.

However, the US government still has not taken any substantial action to help Taiwan. On March 25, Douglas Spelman, director of the Taiwan section of the US State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said he had five hopes for the Taiwan Strait, all of which were aimed at encouraging dialogue between China and Taiwan. On the other hand, Ma has been trying hard to get close to China and there have been reports that he has mentioned canceling military purchases from the US.

Apart from problems with Ma’s personality, this issue is complicated by his being forced by those within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) with vested interests in China. If the US does not get involved very soon, safety and stability across the Taiwan Strait will be jeopardized.

The 23 million people of Taiwan share common ideals with the US, and relations between the two nations are stable. The 58th anniversary of the start of the Korean War passed a few days ago. In that war Taiwan and the US fought together to resist the spread of communism in East Asia. So, it is not only the responsibility, but also in the best interests, of the US to support Taiwan’s moves toward further democratization.

The US should help Taiwan in the following ways:

First, US President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) spoke with each other via telephone on March 26. In the English transcript of the conversation released by Xinhua news agency, Hu promised to accept the formulation that there is “one China with each side having its own interpretation.” However, in the Chinese transcript, this sentence was changed to “one China.” The US should ask Beijing to make the truth known and clarify the details of the conversation.

It should also be made clear that “one China with each side having its own interpretation” is the bare minimum that Taiwan will accept in terms of sovereignty and that without sovereignty there can be no equality between Taiwan and China. Without sovereignty and equality, Taiwan will not be secure, nor will the Taiwan Strait be stable.

Second, the US should recommence military sales to Taiwan as soon as possible to help maintain Taiwan’s national security. China has nothing to do with whether military sales stay frozen or not, this is simply a matter of US policy. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 12 urged the US to permanently stop weapon sales to Taiwan. This was an attempt to damage the “status quo” and challenge US policy on the Taiwan Strait.

Third, before his election, Ma promised that Taiwan’s future would be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan. Since winning the election, however, he has not dared utter a single word on the matter. Regardless of whether the Republicans or the Democrats win the US presidential election, both parties have made it clear that Taiwan’s future must be acceptable to the Taiwanese people and that their wishes be respected. This is in line with the spirit of a nation founded on human rights like the US.

Therefore, in case Ma does not mention this issue, the US can bring this up with China on Taiwan’s behalf.

Hu has been trying to win favor with Japan lately, with China even being willing to concede its rights to oil fields in the East China Sea to Japan. This maneuver is in fact a small short-term sacrifice aimed at gaining greater long-term advantages. China’s long-term goal is to establish an international “united anti-US front.” This is because the US is a formidable enemy that China must try to isolate internationally.

China’s goal is to disrupt Taiwan-Japan relations. It is also trying to undermine the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan. This intention is evident from China’s decision to appoint former ambassador to Japan Wang Yi (王毅) as director of the Taiwan Affairs Office. Therefore, the US must do something to improve its relations with Taiwan to ensure security in East Asia.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in Taiwan.

　

Up Next

China’s People’s Liberation Army

Published on Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/07/07/2003416747

THE LIBERTYTIMES EDITORIAL: Saving Taiwan by alienating allies


Monday, Jul 07, 2008, Page 8

At a military ceremony last Monday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) stressed that his government must show Taiwan’s determination to protect itself by building up the army and preparing for war. Ma said that Taiwan must take responsibility for itself and save itself. He also said that while he hopes to establish good military relations with Taiwan’s allies, Taiwan itself holds the ultimate responsibility for building up our military. He believes that if the government can do that, the public will have faith in it and Taiwan’s allies will respect it.

Ma was convincing when he said this. However, in the month since his inauguration, his words and actions have made Taiwanese and allies alike question his intentions. A short time ago, the Defense News reported that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had told the US about its wish to temporarily stop military sales. The aim was to ensure smooth cross-strait negotiations and the arrival of Chinese tourists on direct-charter flights.

However, the way in which the government is getting increasingly close to China has made the US worry. While US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Washington supports the development of cross-strait relations, she also said that the relations between the US and Taiwan cannot be ignored or forgotten. Officials of the US Department of Defense have also warned that China’s People’s Liberation Army is continuing to increase its military deployment in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan has also started to worry about Ma getting closer to China while moving further away from the US and Japan. The Yomiuri Shimbun recently published an article saying that Ma is trying his hardest not to criticize China and is placing an emphasis on improving cross-strait relations above everything else. The report said that in terms of security, Ma is trying to avoid relying on the US and Japan and that he primarily views Japan as an economic partner.

When a Japanese coast guard patrol boat sank a Taiwanese fishing boat near the Diaoyutai (釣魚台) islands, the government stressed that the islands belonged to the “Chinese” people and even said that Taiwan would be prepared go to war with Japan over the Diaoyutai dispute if necessary. Ma did this because he no longer views Japan as an ally. In his inauguration speech, he focused on cross-strait relations and did not once mention Japan. This worried Japanese officials attending the inauguration and their concern is perfectly understandable.

These incidents show that Ma’s actions contradict his comments about making Taiwan more able to protect itself and establishing good military relations with our allies. Taiwan is in a difficult position and Beijing has still not given up the idea of taking over Taiwan. At the same time, it is within the interests of the US and Japan to see stability, peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.

As a safety mechanism, the US-Japan alliance is extremely important to Taiwan and any Taiwanese leader who puts Taiwan first would definitely give priority to Taiwan’s relations with both countries.

It is indeed a pity that the future of Taiwan’s security took a severe turn for the worse after May 20. Ma has put cross-strait relations above diplomacy and given priority to improving cross-strait ties. It turns out what he really means by improving cross-strait relations is sacrificing Taiwan’s sovereignty and agreeing with Beijing on its “one China” policy. Even if Ma says that the so-called “1992 consensus” means “one China with each side having its own interpretation,” he is still accepting the “one China” policy.

By accepting the “one China” policy and agreeing that Taiwan and China have always been parts of one China, Ma has not only shaken the position of countries that once supported Taiwan, like the US and Japan, but he also positions both of them as obstacles on his path toward eventual unification with the motherland. By seeing these former allies as obstacles, it is unavoidable that Ma will say and do things that make the US and Japan cautious. We really need to think hard about exactly what Ma means when he says “our country” and our “allies.”

In a diplomatic white paper released during the presidential campaign, Ma said he would continue to support the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan because it is an important security mechanism for East Asia. He criticized the Democratic Progressive Party for squandering the trust that once existed between Taipei and Washington.

But after a little more than a month in power, Ma has made it obvious to Japan that he is getting close to China and is moving away from the US and Japan. Remember how Ma said that he was confident he could bring “a century of prosperity and stability to Taiwan” as long as he could have eight years in power? By listening to what he has said and looking at what he has done, the prosperity and stability he was referring to must mean “eventual unification” with China.

Must the people of Taiwan quietly accept this? Must they allow Ma to use China’s massive economy as an excuse to ruin Taiwan’s future and prosperity? Ma vowed to “protect the nation” in his inauguration speech. It will be interesting indeed to see just how many people are willing to keep a president in power who has gone back on his word.

Translated by Drew Cameron
Copyright © 1999-2008 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.

Taiwanese face chinese

Up Next

　

Guizhou rioting forces new probe
　

RECONSIDER: Rioting on Saturday brought 30,000 people to the streets after the relative of a local official was alleged to be involved in a girl’s death

AP, WENG’AN, CHINA
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008, Page 1

Chinese police will reopen an investigation into the death of a teenage girl after accusations of a cover-up led to rioting in a southwest town, a state news agency reported yesterday.

The widespread protests in Weng’an, a town in Guizhou Province, stemmed from the official report on the death of a high school student and allegations that one suspect was related to a local official, residents said.

Residents believe Li Shufen (李樹芬) — whose body was pulled from a river on June 22 — was raped and murdered. An initial police report found that the girl had drowned, causing 30,000 people to swarm the streets in anger on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Xinhua had quoted vice county chief Xiao Song as saying that a preliminary investigation found no links between children of local officials and the girl.

But Xinhua reported yesterday that the investigation would be reopened.

“The provincial government has sent 10 criminal investigators and forensic experts to reinvestigate the death,” it said.

The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said that in the original investigation, officials had questioned three young men, but let them go.

In the unrest, the local police building was set on fire and its windows were broken. By yesterday, burned out cars had been removed from the front of the building and parts of town were returning to normal, with residents shopping and walking around.

Security remained tight, with paramilitary police lining the streets.

Provincial Communist Party Secretary Shi Zongyuan (石宗源) visited the area to stress “the importance of social stability,” Xinhua said.

“We must put maintaining social harmony and stability on the top of our agenda,” Shi was quoted as saying.

The provincial public security bureau said yesterday that its chief was at a meeting and did not comment. The Weng’an Public Security Bureau lines rang busy.

Authorities have rounded up 300 people accused of taking part in Saturday’s riot, the Hong Kong rights group said.

The unrest is especially sensitive for China ahead of the Beijing Olympics next month and officials have repeatedly stressed the need to keep order.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and top security officials have issued important instructions for the case, the Guizhou Daily said.

Riots and protests by local citizens over official corruption, land confiscation and a growing gap between the rich and poor have been an increasing problem for China’s leaders in recent years.

　

　

PRC dissident threatens to sue for refugee status
　

By Jenny W. Hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008, Page 3

A Chinese dissident threatened to sue the government yesterday if it continues to ignore his demand for citizenship or political asylum.

“Based on the Republic of China [ROC] Constitution, I am part of the ROC population and therefore I have the right to be treated like one of its citizens,” said Cai Lujun (蔡陸軍), a former fisherman who was smuggled into Taiwan last summer. Cai was incarcerated for six months before he was granted a temporary entry permit.

“I don’t ask for much, I just want to be treated like a human being,” he said, adding that he would consider suing the government for neglecting the welfare of one of its citizens.

Legal experts, however, said that Cai would be wasting his time, as even though the Constitution says the nation’s territory includes China, the government only has jurisdiction over Taiwan and its offshore islets.

Cai and fellow Chinese dissident Wu Yalin (吳亞林), who absconded last December from his tour group, said they would continue a hunger strike until either their demands had been met or they were “taken away to a hospital.”

Both men said they came to Taiwan seeking freedom and democracy because of the political oppression in China.

The nation has no refugee law and therefore does not grant political asylum. The government can, however, grant a temporary visa and a small monthly stipend.

Without citizenship or permanent residency, however, the two men cannot seek employment or apply for a local cellphone number and are not eligible for national health insurance.

“I can’t even go to school. I have zero options,” Cai said after he was taken to a police station for protesting in front of the Presidential Office yesterday.

Cai and Wu were detained for three hours then released.

The Mainland Affairs Council did not immediately respond to Cai and Wu’s demand, but said the government had been assisting them.

　

　

Bureau conducts record-breaking group foot massage
　

DESTINATION: In addition to the free massage fest, the Tourism Bureau is also offering incentives such as gifts, special hotel deals and prizes to lure tourists

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008, Page 4

“It is a great opportunity for us to gather here in the Taipei Arena today to bring together culture and tourism to showcase the high quality of reflexology services in Taiwan ... the Tourism Bureau would like to use creativity and sincerity to touch the hearts of foreign tourists.”— Janice Lai, director-general of the Tourism Bureau

The Tourism Bureau yesterday organized a record-setting reflexology therapy session in which nearly 1,000 foreign tourists received foot massages in an attempt to promote medical and “stay fit” tourism in Taiwan.

A total of 2,000 people, including 1,000 reflexologists and some 830 tourists from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia and other countries along with foreign expatriates, easily set the new world record after 40 minutes of foot massage at the Taipei Arena.

The previous record featured 400 people getting reflexology for five minutes.

“It is a great opportunity for us to gather here in the Taipei Arena today to bring together culture and tourism to showcase the high quality of reflexology services in Taiwan,” said Janice Lai (賴瑟珍), director-general of the Tourism Bureau.

“With 2008-2009 being the year of Tour Taiwan, the Tourism Bureau would like to use creativity and sincerity to touch the hearts of foreign tourists and give them an unforgettable memory they will remember for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Before the foot massage, a drumming performance by the famous U Theater helped the participants get in the mood.

Following the drumming performance, the Meimen Qigong and Culture Center gave the 2,000 participants a basic qigong course, which is a system of meditational breathing exercises.

Lai said Taiwan provides a diverse range of medical and health maintenance tourism products such as hot springs, spas, massages and healthy dining, which have long been welcomed by international tourists.

The Tourism Bureau will continue to hold events promoting these types of products to attract more tourists to experience the excellent quality of Taiwan’s tourism services, she said.

Taiwan is hoping to increase the number of tourists and other visitors to 4 million this year — a 7 percent increase year-on-year.

Part of its strategy is to encourage travelers to come here for healing therapy, from massage to more complicated medical procedures such as plastic surgery, taking advantage of the nation’s advanced — but relatively affordable health care system. The country is hoping to become a medical tourism destination like Thailand and Singapore.

In addition to the free massage fest, the Tourism Bureau is also offering incentives such as gifts, special hotel deals and prizes to lure tourists to the nation this year.

　

Up Next