Chen suffering delusions, sleep apnea, doctor says

By Rich Chang and Chris Wang  /  Staff reporters

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) suffers from sleep apnea — a disorder in which breathing completely stops or is intermittent for periods of about 10 to 30 seconds — and paranoid delusions of being persecuted, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) Superintendent Lin Fang-yue (林芳郁) said yesterday.

The imprisoned former president, who is serving a 17-and-a-half-year sentence for corruption, has been in the hospital since Sept. 21 for further examination.

The TVGH is a subordinate of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Lin was requested by lawmakers to present a report at a legislative Foreign and National Defense Committee meeting yesterday.

DPP dismisses new health system levy, suggests alternative

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday called for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration to suspend the implementation of the second-generation National Health Insurance (NHI) premium, saying that it is flawed, and instead urged the government to amend related regulations if necessary.

The mechanism, designed to generate revenue for the financially-stricken NHI, would not achieve its NT$23.6 billion (US$805 million) goal, DPP lawmakers Chen Chieh-ju (陳節如), Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) told a press conference.

Frank Hsieh to depart on historic China trip today

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) is set to embark on a symbolic yet controversial visit to China today for what has been described as an “ice breaking” trip to promote better relations between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and China.

“Hopefully, footprints I make today will become a trail for future travelers,” Hsieh said yesterday, referring to his five-day visit to Xiamen and Beijing.

Hsieh, who served as premier and DPP chairman, would be the highest-ranking DPP official to visit China, a country which has always held a hostile view toward the political party.

Firm that handles military craft may have China link

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

A firm in which Chinese capital is invested is in charge of conducting maintenance work on Taiwanese military aircraft, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers said yesterday, warning that as a result, sensitive national defense information could be obtained by Beijing.

The AirAsia group won maintenance bids worth NT$230 million (US$7.85 million) for the air force’s fleet of B-1900 and FK-50 aircraft as well as the army’s CH47, OH-58 and TH67 helicopters last year, TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) told a press conference.

Tsai Ing-wen wishes Hsieh best, urges ties with India

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday gave her best wishes to former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who is to depart for China tomorrow on a five-day visit.

Hsieh’s visit has garnered a lot of attention because of his seniority in the DPP, Tsai said in a press release.

“Hopefully, his visit will help consolidate cross-strait relations and move them in a positive direction,” the statement said

Taiwan must tackle China human rights deficit: Wang Dan

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Taiwan should pay more attention to human rights developments in China because it serves Taiwan’s interests and it is an issue that crosses party lines, Chinese dissident Wang Dan (王丹) told a forum in Taipei yesterday.

Wang, one of the best-known student leaders of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 and who is now a visiting professor at National Tsing Hua University, said he has high hopes for Taiwan’s role in China’s struggle for democratization at a forum yesterday organized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Lawmakers slam gas prices, hikes

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC) should freeze the price of natural gas and liquefied gas until the state-owned company is completely reformed, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) legislative caucus demanded yesterday.

The caucus urged CPC to ensure liquid petroleum gas (LPG) prices remain unchanged.

“We wonder why, when crude and natural gas prices in the global market are falling, for example natural gas in New York trading markets have fallen by 12.61 percent, gas prices in Taiwan are going up,” DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said.

Frank Hsieh confirms visit to China

BARROOM DIPLOMACY:：The former premier will attend a bartending event in Beijing in a private capacity and promised he would refrain from public political events
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter
Tue, Oct 02, 2012 - Page 1

Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced yesterday he would visit China from Thursday until Monday, adding that he hoped the visit would serve as a catalyst for the DPP’s closer engagement with Beijing.

The five-day trip that will take him and his delegation to Xiamen and Beijing will make Hsieh the highest-ranking former DPP official to visit China. Hsieh has served as premier and DPP chairman

DPP split over benefits of Hsieh’s Beijing trip

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is expected to address the issue of China a lot this week, including whether former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) is to become the first former DPP premier to visit China, Lin He-ming (林鶴明), a spokesperson from Hsieh’s office, said yesterday.

While arrangements for relevant paperwork, air tickets and accommodation are ongoing, Hsieh’s trip to Beijing for a world bartending competition still remains tentative.

India could spice up ties: academic

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

With strong will from India’s government and inter-party effort in Taiwan, the two countries could sign a free-trade agreement (FTA) by next year, an Indian academic wrote in a column published on Saturday.

Madhav Das Nalapat, director of Manipal University’s Department of Geopolitics and the UNESCO Peace Chair holder, made the comment in a newspaper column titled “Tsai visit boosts India-Taiwan ties,” in which he addressed the 10-day visit to the south Asian country by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The piece was published on the Web site of the English-language Pakistan Observer newspaper.