Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan arms no reason to harm US-China ties: Gates

Taipei Times

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates yesterday chided China for suspending military ties over US arms sales to Taiwan, saying Beijing’s stance “makes little sense.”

Renewing his call for stronger relations between the Chinese and US militaries, Gates said such a dialogue should not be “held hostage” over the weapons sales.

Opposition vows ‘10-year’ ECFA fight

Taipei Times

Opposition parties yesterday vowed to begin a “10-year resistance” against the government’s plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, including organizing large-scale protests calling for a referendum on the controversial pact.

The Executive Yuan’s Referendum Review Committee on Thursday night voted 12-4 against an opposition-supported referendum proposal asking voters whether they agreed that the government should sign an ECFA with China. The committee said the question did not fall under what was allowed under the Referendum Act (公民投票法).

Referendum is a needed tool for our democracy

Taipei Times Editorial

On Thursday, the Cabinet’s Referendum Review Committee rejected a referendum proposal on an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA). After some media outlets and members of the public had directed strong attacks against a referendum, many members of the Referendum Review Committee also raised doubts over the issue, resulting in the expectation by many that the proposal would be rejected.

Taiwan must not repeat Greek debt crisis

Taiwan News Editorial

Taiwan took a step toward replicating the Greek debt crisis earlier this week when the Legislative Yuan's fiscal affairs committee recently approved revisions to the Public Debt Law that will hike debt ceilings for special municipal and local governments.

According to the draft revisions approved by the committee, the future five special municipalities, including Taipei, Sinbei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, will be able to raise a total of public debt up to 200 percent of their annual expenditures while the remaining city and county governments will have their public debt ceilings lifted from the current 45 percent to 70 percent.

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