Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

China hampers trade talks: EU official

Taipei Times

China has been the main obstacle preventing the EU from opening negotiations with Taiwan over a deal on trade facilitation, despite “overwhelming backing” in the European parliament for the bid, a visiting member of the European Parliament said yesterday.

The European Parliament as a whole is very supportive of the EU signing a free-trade agreement or an economic cooperation agreement with Taiwan and wants to see negotiations start as soon as possible, said Martin Callanan, chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the parliament.

Pension revision temporary: Chen

Taipei Times

Contrary to the general perception that the year-end pension benefits for government retirees had been permanently revised to cover only the disadvantaged, Premier Sean Chen yesterday said the revision will only be applied this year.

“The policy regarding pension distribution will be reviewed on an annual basis,” Chen said when fielding questions from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) and several others at a question-and-answer session in the legislature yesterday.

Locke breaks silence on Tibet after Ngaba visit, Urges China to re-examine policies

Phayul.com

US ambassador to China Gary Locke in a file photo. (Photo/Reuters)

DHARAMSHALA, October 30: The US ambassador to China has broken his silence on the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet and urged China to re-examine policies which have led to the current situation.

Gary Locke’s comments come after the deadliest week of self-immolations, which saw seven Tibetans burn themselves demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

Three ex-officers arrested for spying

Taipei Times

The Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed that three retired military officers had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, in what legislators described as one of the nation’s worst cases of espionage.

The Ministry of National Defense said that Commander Chang Chih-hsin (張祉鑫), former director of the political warfare department of Naval Meteorological & Oceanographic Office (METOC), was indicted by military prosecutors on suspicion of working as an agent for the Chinese.

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