Chen: Blocking United Nations bid 'a step backward'

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian yesterday encouraged members of the European Parliament to stand up in defense of the universal values of freedom, democracy, human rights, peace and justice, and denounce U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's interpretation of Taiwan sovereignty, during a videoconference between the Presidential Office in Taipei and the European Parliament in Brussels. Full Story

Chen urged to change United Nations vote date

The China Post - Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Huang Kun-huei urged President Chen Shui-bian yesterday to hold a national affairs conference to decide a proper and separate date for his planned referendum on Taiwan's bid for United Nations membership instead of bundling the referendum with the 2008 presidential election. Full Story

Report warns about over-reliance on the United States

The China Post - Taiwan's over-reliance on U.S. military protection and its increasingly aggressive call for independence could drag America into a catastrophic war with China, argued a policy analysis report issued by the Cato Institute. Full Story

Ma blasts Chen over United Nations referendum for 'troubles'

The China Post - Opposition presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou yesterday said the United States has given a series of solemn and grave warnings to President Chen Shui-bian on his proposed referendum on a bid to join the U.N. under the name of Taiwan. Full Story

Civic group departs for protest in New York

The China Post - The U.N. for Taiwan Alliance (TAIUNA) announced yesterday that an 80-person delegation would soon depart to New York to join a planned protest on Taiwan's bid for U.N. membership to be held on Saturday. Full Story

Security stepped up for upcoming United Nations rallies

The China Post - Police officials said that some 1,000 officers will be mobilized to maintain order for rallies both for and against a referendum on Taiwan's return to the United Nations, slated to take place across the island tomorrow. Full Story

Vietnam protests Taiwan plan for Spratly airstrip

The China Post - Vietnam has protested Taiwan's reported plan to build an airstrip on one of the disputed Spratly islands, the communist government said in a statement seen Thursday. Full Story

Mandarin Airlines to open Kaohsiung-Okinawa route

The China Post - Mandarin Airlines, a subsidiary of Taiwan's largest carrier,China Airlines, will launch regular chartered flights between the southern port city of Kaohsiung and Okinawa City from Sept. 14, a spokesman for the company said yesterday. Full Story

Buddhist group sends aid to Indonesia's quake-hit region

The China Post - A Taiwan medical relief group yesterday rushed aid and a medical team to Indonesia's Sumatra island where a magnitude-8.4 quake has left at least 9 people dead and dozens injured. Full Story

Taiwan seeking to attract more Singapore tourists

The China Post - A tourism delegation organized by the Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA) will take part in a Singapore international travel fair to attract more tourists from the Southeast Asian country. Full Story

United States won't recognize 'Taiwan,' official says

The China Post - The United States does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state and considers Taipei's recent call for a referendum on its U.N. bid a "needlessly provocative" step toward changing its status quo, a senior U.S. State Department official said Tuesday. Full Story

DPP refuses to stop promoting United Nations bid

The China Post - The government yesterday said it will not give up the bid to join the United Nations under the name "Taiwan," although a senior U.S. official called the move "needlessly provocative." Full Story

Ma 'unsurprised' with United States opposition to bid

The China Post - Kuomintang presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou yesterday said he was not surprised that a senior U.S. State Department official gave a long talk detailing the reasons behind Washington's opposition to President Chen Shui-bian's proposed referendum on Taiwan's U.N. bid. Full Story

Eye on Taiwan, Shanghai plans air raid drill

The China Post - China is to hold a major air raid drill in Shanghai, the likely target of Taiwan missiles in the event of conflict, a sign the country's leadership still views war as a possibility with the island it claims as its own. Full Story

Chen's 3rd letter to United Nations also returned

The China Post - Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian's third letter to the United Nations (U.N.) authorities would also be returned to Taiwan, based on the same interpretation of U.N. General Assembly resolution 2758. Full Story

Freedom House condemns United States for opposing Taiwan's United Nations bid

The China Post - Freedom House, a U.S.-based human rights group, criticized the United States on Monday for opposing Taiwan's plan to hold a referendum on whether the island should join the United Nations. Full Story

Taiwan has 'urgent' need to buy United States F-16s

The China Post - Taiwan has an "urgent and legitimate" need to buy F-16 jet fighters from the United States, visiting ROC Deputy National Defense Minister Ko Cheng-heng said Monday. Full Story

Education head to attend Norway education seminar

The China Post - Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng, who is currently on a visit to Europe, will lead a delegation to attend an annual conference of the European Association for International Education (EAIE), slated to take place in Trondheim, Norway, Sept. 12-15, an education official said Tuesday. Full Story

Taiwan must become independent: Chen

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian formally declared yesterday that Taiwan must become an independent and normal nation, change its national name, draw up a new constitution, join the United Nations, and hold referendums in line with democratic values. Full Story

Referendums to be held alongside elections: Chen

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian said yesterday that a referendum on retrieving the ill-gotten assets of the opposition Kuomintang will be held alongside the legislative elections slated for Jan. 12 next year. Full Story

Mayor Hsu attends Asia Pacific Cities Summit

The China Post - Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair, on the second day of his visit to Australia, attended the first day of the 2007 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS), hosted by the city of Brisbane, Australia. The Aug. 31 meeting focused on "Projects for Business Opportunities," and Mayor Hsu was invited to present a specific report. Full Story

Taiwan donates US$350,000 to Nicaragua for disaster aid

The China Post - Taiwan has donated US$350,000 for disaster relief to Nicaragua, one of its diplomatic allies in Central America, which was lashed by a hurricane Sept. 4, according to an announcement by Nicaragua's Foreign Ministry Saturday. Full Story

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders pledge political will

The China Post - Pacific Rim leaders on Sunday pledged political will and flexibility to rescue faltering global trade talks, after forging an agreement to curb climate change they hope will influence a new global strategy on the problem. Full Story

Key outcomes from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation talks

The China Post - Here are the key points from two special statements and the final declaration issued by the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Full Story

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders call for study on prospects for a free trade zone

The China Post - Asia-Pacific leaders Sunday called for a study on the prospects for a free trade zone stretching from China to Chile, seen by some as an alternative in case the current round of global trade talks fail. Full Story

India to stay outside Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation til 2010

The China Post - India and around 10 other countries will remain excluded from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for at least three years, Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced Sunday. Full Story

United States, Russia to host APEC in 2011 and 2012

The China Post - The United States will host the 2011 APEC summit and Russia will take on the prestigious role in 2012, Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced Sunday at the end of this year's gathering. Full Story

New Taiwan envoy You arrives in Germany

The China Post - Taiwan's new representative in Germany, You Ching, arrived in Berlin Saturday to assume his post. Full Story

St. Lucian Prime Minister's passing shouldn't affect Taiwan ties

The China Post - Diplomatic relations between the Republic and China and Saint Lucia are not expected to be affected by the death of St. Lucian Prime Minister John Compton, Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) James Huang said yesterday. Full Story

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation heads forge climate change deal

The China Post - Pacific Rim leaders agreed Saturday to curb global warming by improving energy use and expanding forests, laying out a plan they hope will influence future climate change talks but that critics dismissed as too timid. Full Story

China, Taiwan can find common ground: Shih

The China Post - Rivals and long-time enemies Taiwan and China can find "common ground" as long as leaders on both sides "sit down and speak sincerely," the island's chief delegate said at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Friday. Full Story

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation attire: Brown coats, with Aussie flash

The China Post - Brown coats. Displaying varying degrees of comfort, Pacific Rim leaders emerged from beneath the stunning architecture of the Sydney Opera House on Saturday to answer one of the most-asked questions of their annual summit: What will they wear at their group photo? Full Story

Taiwan rep visits new site for Pentagon Memorial

The China Post - Taiwan's representative to the United States, Joseph Wu, visited the construction site for the Pentagon Memorial in Washington, D.C. at the invitation of the U.S. Defense Department Friday, an official from Taiwan's representative office said. Full Story

St. Lucia's Prime Minister John Compton dies at 82

The China Post - Prime Minister John Compton, who guided his tiny Caribbean island to independence from Britain and infuriated China by restoring ties with Taiwan, has died, a member of his Cabinet said. He was 82. Full Story

Taiwan's envoy Shih arrives in Australia for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit

The China Post - Taiwan's delegate to the 2007 informal leadership summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum arrived in Sydney, Australia Friday for the annual gathering. Full Story

Bush, Putin engage Asia nations at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit

The China Post - President George W. Bush prepared for an Asia-Pacific summit in Australia, saying on Friday the United States would consider a peace treaty with North Korea if it gave up nuclear arms. Full Story

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders aim to ban 'grease' payments to curb corruption

The China Post - Asia-Pacific leaders will fire a shot in the battle against corruption at their weekend summit, endorsing a code of conduct banning companies from paying bribes to speed up deals or making dubious political contributions. Full Story

China, not United States, opposing referendum: Chen

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian, in an apparent attempt to avoid alienating Taipei from Washington, claimed yesterday that it is China, not the United States, that is the enemy of Taiwan in opposing the island's bid to join the United Nations. Full Story

United Nations bid won't change 'status quo'

The China Post - The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday claimed that Taipei's bid to join the United Nations is not an attempt to "unilaterally" change Taiwan's status quo, which it redefined as the island's "long isolation" from the international community. Full Story

President Chen wants high-level security dialogue with U.S. resumed

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian said yesterday that a dialogue mechanism for high-level national security officials between Taiwan and the United States has been disrupted for some time and that he hopes it will be resumed. Full Story

AIT co-organizes forum on media responsibility

The China Post - The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) will today co-organize a forum on media responsibility in a democratic society to discuss issues and challenges facing media organizations. Full Story