News

Chen transferred to penitentiary

Friday, 03 December 2010 10:09 Taipei Times

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was moved yesterday from a detention center to a nearby penitentiary to formally begin serving his sentence after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction on wide-ranging graft charges.

The transfer followed a decision last month by the Supreme Court to uphold Chen’s convictions in two high-profile bribery cases involving a land deal in Longtan (龍潭), Taoyuan County, and the appointment of a chairwoman to the company that manages the Taipei 101 building.

'No position' on Taiwan's status in fact a position: AIT head

Wednesday, 01 December 2010 09:39 Focus Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) The United States' "no position" on Taiwan's international status is in fact a position, which has drawn objections from Beijing, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond Burghardt said Tuesday in Taipei.

"We take no position on the political status of Taiwan. That may sound like a dodge but it's a position. Taking no position is itself a position because that means you're not taking their (China's) position, " Burghardt said in a question and answer session after delivering a speech in an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Taipei.

WikiLeaks says it has Taiwan cables

Wednesday, 01 December 2010 08:57 Taipei Times

The huge cache of confidential US diplomatic cables that is being released by whistleblower Web site WikiLeaks is believed to include large numbers of secret memos exchanged between Taiwanese and US diplomatic officials, perhaps giving the public a firsthand look at the fragile relationship.

WikiLeaks currently holds a set of more than 250,000 documents from between December 1966 and February this year, but has only made 278 available to the public. None of the documents originating from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties, has been released.

2010 ELECTIONS: Chen Chih-chung promises to fight for ‘father’s innocence’

Monday, 29 November 2010 09:32 Taipei Times

A day after his election as a Greater Kaohsiung City councilor, former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) son spoke about his jailed father and an alliance of municipal council members who insist that Taiwan and China are separate countries.

Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), 31, won 32,947 votes, more than any other candidate running in the Greater Kaohsiung City Council election on Saturday.

2010 ELECTIONS: DPP worried over Chen Chih-chung

Friday, 26 November 2010 08:44 Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday said they feared a call by pro-localization groups for voters to support former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) son in the Greater Kaohsiung City councilor election tomorrow could affect the party’s performance.

Calling on voters to act “wisely,” DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said the groups’ support for Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), the former president’s son, could hurt the party in the elections.

Taiwan air defense needs a boost: US commission

Friday, 19 November 2010 10:00 Taipei Times

As the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission officially released its annual report to the US Congress on Wednesday, commissioner Dan Blumenthal said there was unanimous agreement that “something must be done” to improve Taiwan’s air defense capabilities.

Addressing a packed hearing room in the US Senate, Blumenthal said there was “no silver bullet” that could balance the military forces facing each other across the Taiwan Strait, but that Congress needed to review the situation in a comprehensive manner.

US report urges closer Taiwan-US relationship

Thursday, 18 November 2010 09:39 Taipei Times

In its annual report released yesterday, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission made a series of recommendations aimed at boosting the Washington-Taipei relationship and pushing the administration of US President Barack Obama to take stronger action on trade issues with China.

The commission recommends that the US Congress direct the Pentagon to “address the issue” of Taiwan’s air defense capabilities, to include a detailed assessment of Taiwan’s needs vis-a-vis China’s growing military air and missile capabilities.

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