Government works to deport fugitive officer from the UK

ON THE RUN:Emily Yeh said that she decided to leave the military because her comrades made fun of her age and she had been ‘treated as a weirdo’
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Government agencies said yesterday that they are working with the UK on the deportation of a fugitive Taiwanese military officer and reiterated that the officer’s long stay in the UK was for personal reasons rather than a defection.

Emily Yeh (葉玫), an officer in the Military Intelligence Bureau, was detained at an immigration center in Bedfordshire, England, on Tuesday after being detained by the UK Border Agency for illegal immigration, the Central New Agency (CNA) quoted British newspaper the South Wales Argus as saying yesterday.

British expert explains the EU ban on ractopamine

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Use of the animal feed additive ractopamine only benefits meat producers and has negative effects on humans, a British professor who sits on a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel said yesterday.

“Ractopamine usage benefits producers, but not consumers. It is bad for animal welfare and has some bad effects on humans,” Donald Broom, a professor at the University of Cambridge’s department of veterinary medicine, concluded in his 30-minute brief at a forum in Taipei.

British expats celebrate royal wedding with `high-rise' street party

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) British expatriates in Taiwan got together in a "street party-style" event Friday to watch live coverage of the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton "with excitement and joy."

They were happy with the arrangement, even though the party was actually held on the 26th floor, instead of on the street level.

Members of the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (BCCT) and staff of the British Trade and Commerce Office (BTCO) arrived at the party dressed in red, white and blue -- the colors of the Union Jack, Britain's national flag -- with some even wearing traditional Scottish kilts, where they were riveted to a giant television screen showing satellite images from London's Westminster Abbey.

The event, co-organized by the BCCT and BTCO, the representative office of the United Kingdom in Taiwan, featured British food such as fish and chips and shepherd's pie, in a traditional street party-style celebration.

"In the U.K., people close the street and set up long tables in the middle of the road (to celebrate.) They have cakes, chocolates and jelly for their children. We're trying to create something similar... We're happy to bring this tradition to Taiwan, " said BTCO Director David Campbell, who was sporting a Union Jack vest.

"But we're having it here (on the 26th floor) so we won't disrupt traffic, " Campbell said.

The huge interest generated by the wedding is not surprising, the top U.K. diplomat in Taiwan said, because "people have followed Prince William from the day he was born."

"But at the end of the day, it's about a man and a woman falling in love and getting married, " he said, adding that Friday will be a wonderful day not just for the British but for people around the world.

The local media has also taken great interest in what is arguably the most anticipated royal wedding since the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana Spencer -- Prince William's parents -- in 1981.

Sanli TV, CtiTV, ETTV and Next TV have sent journalists to London to broadcast the wedding live from Westminster Abbey, according to the director. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Some British expats in Taiwan to celebrate royal wedding

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Some British diplomats and expatriates will attend a party Friday in Taipei to celebrate and witness the royal wedding of Prince William of Wales and his bride Catherine Middleton.

A street party-style event, organized by the British Trade and Commerce Office (BTCO) in Taipei -- the de facto United Kingdom representative office in Taiwan -- and the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (BCCT) , will be held at the BTCO office to allow British expatriates in Taiwan to celebrate the event, said BTCO Director David Campbell.

"It will be in street party style. Street parties are a great tradition in Britain and for a century have been linked to royal and other national events. All 50 seats are fully booked, " Campbell said.

"There has been a lot of interest in the event, not just from British nationals but from many other people who see this as a `good news' royal story and wish the couple well, " he said.

The local media has also taken great interest in what is arguably the most anticipated royal wedding since the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana Spencer -- Prince William's parents -- in 1981.

Sanli TV, CtiTV, ETTV and Next TV have sent journalists to London and will broadcast the wedding live from Westminster Abbey Friday, according to the director.

Campbell said he remembered the huge interest and excitement at the time of the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981, when millions of people watched the spectacle on the streets of London or viewed the ceremony on television with friends and family.

"The additional visitors who come to London especially for the wedding could easily spend upwards of NT$2,500 million (US$87.1 million). However, the big opportunity is not about people coming for the wedding but about the billions of people who watch it on TV and who might be encouraged to visit the U.K. as a result, " according to the top U.K. diplomat in Taiwan.

"This wedding, combined with other forthcoming major events such as The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 London Olympics, are expected to generate well over NT$100 billion over the next few years, " he added. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

U.K.-Taiwan trade in 2010 shows strong growth: BTCO

Taipei, March 1 (CNA) Two-way trade between the United Kingdom and Taiwan grew robustly in 2010 to NT$240 billion (5 billion pounds) and the positive trend was expected to continue with Taiwan's gradual development into a service-oriented economy, the top UK diplomat in Taiwan said Tuesday.

"Our trading relationship has always been strong and it is clear from these figures that trade has recovered strongly from the global economic downturn, " said David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , the UK's de facto representative office in Taiwan.

Citing the latest statistics from the UK Revenue and Customs Department, Campbell said British exports to Taiwan last year totalled NT$50.4 billion, which was a significant increase of 40 percent from 2009 and way above the average 25 percent to the Asia-Pacific region for the same period.

Taiwan exports to the UK also rose last year, soaring by 38 percent compared with 2009, according to Campbell. Taiwan's main exports to the UK were telecommunications equipment, sound recording equipment, electrical machinery and appliances, office machines and automatic data processing machines, he said.

The pattern of Britain's exports to Taiwan is interesting to watch, Campbell said. Of the total 1.7 billion pounds in goods and service exports to Taiwan in 2010, physical goods accounted for 1 billion ponds, while financial, educational and other services made up the other 700 million pounds, he said.

Four or five years ago, the volume of UK service exports to Taiwan was only around 200 million to 300 million pounds, he said, noting that there has been a tremendous growth of Taiwan's service market.

Reviewing the bilateral trade relations, the director underlined the importance of the Taiwan market to the U.K., saying that the UK was exporting more to Taiwan than to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines combined.

Taiwan's total exports to the UK were around 3.3 billion pounds (NT$159.2 billion) , which showed a trade surplus in Taiwan's favor, he said.

In terms of investment, a number of Taiwanese brands are now better known now in the U.K., he said. They include the computer maker Acer -- an official sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics -- and mobile phone maker HTC, which acquired a British company for 30 million pounds few weeks ago, Campbell said.

The UK is expected to lower its corporate tax from 28 percent to 24 percent -- the lowest rate in the G7 countries -- in four years, which would be an incentive for Taiwanese investors, he said.

British companies in Taiwan were most concerned about the government procurement issue and said that they deserved a level playing field with local competitors to apply for tenders, he said.

"We hope that real progress can be made in 2011 on market access issues, to further boost trade between Taiwan and the UK, " he said, adding that the next meeting of the Taiwan Britain Business Council will be held in Taipei in May. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

MOFA helping stranded Taiwanese travelers in Europe

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that Taiwan's representative offices in Europe are doing their best to help Taiwanese travelers stranded around the northern part of the continent due to bad weather.

The ministry confirmed that as of Tuesday morning, more than 100 Taiwanese tourists were stranded in Cologne, Vienna and London after heavy snow caused the cancellation and delay of flights across the European continent.

With the help of Taiwan's representative office, 73 Taiwanese tourists received a temporary visa or a Schengen visa exemption from the immigration office in Vienna, MOFA spokesman James Chang said.

Another group of 54 travelers on a China Airlines flight had arrived in London after previously being kept in Cologne, where the tourists received a group Schengen visa so they could leave the airport during their stay.

Dozens of Taiwanese travelers were also still in London waiting for Heathrow and Gatwick airports to open, Chang said.

The MOFA believed there were other Taiwanese travelers facing problems in Europe, and the Department of European Affairs was still gathering information on their situations, Chang said.

The ministry had a similar experience in helping more than 1,900 Taiwanese travelers get to their destination or apply for temporary travel documents in April, when a volcanic eruption in Iceland disrupted thousands of flights around Europe, Chang said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

British scholar assesses Taiwan's FTA options

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) Japan, South Korea and the European Union (EU) are all viable options for Taiwan to sign future free trade agreements (FTAs) with, but thorough evaluation will be needed before the country takes the next step forward, a visiting British scholar said Wednesday.

Christopher M. Dent, a senior lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds, made the comment is his speech titled "FTA Policies in the Asia-Pacific and Taiwan's Choice," hosted by European Union Center in Taiwan.

Dent referred to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), signed by Taiwan and China in June to liberalize trade across the Taiwan Strait, as a "sub-FTA."

Nevertheless, he said, it could turn out to be Taiwan's most important FTA, because China is Taiwan's largest trade partner.

The ECFA could also be the key to unlocking Taiwan's other FTA options, he said, citing the example of Singapore, which announced in August it will study the feasibility of an FTA with Taiwan.

But given that a Taiwan-Singapore FTA is expected to bring only limited gains, it would have greater political, rather than economic, significance, said the professor.

Signing an FTA with Japan or South Korea would bring many more gains for Taiwan, and they are viable options because the two countries have similar industrial profiles to Taiwan, as well as sharing similar views on agricultural protection, he said.

Compared with the United States, whose demands in any FTA negotiations would be high, the EU would be an ideal partner for Taiwan, "because it's not so demanding as the U.S. and it's easier on agriculture," he noted.

China's and Japan's economies are "too big and problematic" for the EU, and that makes Taiwan a viable option for the union, Dent said. The only concern, he continued, is that Taiwan may have to wait until the EU finalizes its current FTA negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Taiwan's own negotiations with the ASEAN may take a long time, said Dent, who also considered the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- a multilateral FTA initiated by four Pacific Rim countries in 2005 to which five more countries, including the U.S., are also currently negotiating to join -- has little chance of success unless significant compromises are made.

In addition to the selection of partners, Dent said, it is also important for Taiwan to understand that a thorough evaluation of what kind of agreements best serve Taiwan's interests is needed, since different kinds of FTAs can be signed depending on what is politically and economically feasible. (By Chris Wang) enditem/MH

Sharp increase in Taiwanese visitors to UK: MOFA

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) A marked increase in Taiwanese nationals visiting the United Kingdom has resulted from the visa-free exemption introduced last year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

A total of 80,935 Taiwanese visited the U.K. in 2009, reported James Lee, director-general of the MOFA's Department of European Affairs, at a regular briefing. This represented a 56-percent increase over the 51,930 in 2008, he said, citing statistics of the U.K. Border Agency.

"The number of the short-term visitors showed a 107-percent rise from 2008 to 2009, and a 150-percent increase -- from 18,655 to 46,720 -- if business travelers are differentiated from short-term visitors, " Lee said.

Relations between Taiwan and the U.K. have become closer since the U.K. granted Taiwanese visa-free privileges in March 2009, Lee said.

According to Lee, the number of students traveling to the U.K. for short period of study also increased, up 70 percent from 1,940 in 2008 to 3,305 in 2009. (By Chris Wang) enditem/MH 

Taiwan well-positioned to benefit from low-carbon economy: BTCO

Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) Taiwan is in good position to benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy because of its highly educated population, technological expertise and leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, a visiting British official and the top British diplomat in Taiwan said Thursday.

The United Kingdom is keen to share its experience with Taiwan since both sides are expected to benefit from collaboration in the climate-change issue and in the green-energy sector, said David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taiwan (BTCO) , the de-facto embassy in the absence of official diplomatic ties, at a press briefing.

In terms of Taiwan's desire to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , Campbell said the European Union has always supported Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, but that it will not be solely the U.K.'s decision.

The important question, however, is not just about participation in the UNFCCC, Campbell said. If Taiwan-- which accounts for about 1 percent of global emissions of climate-change gases -- carefully formulates and implements its energy policy, it will be able to transform into a low-carbon economy with reduced carbon emissions, and this would benefit the nation's employment, he continued.

The green-energy sector is one of few sectors able to maintain positive growth and create new jobs during the economic downturn, Campbell said.

Though the U.K. is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, it was not until the country decided to tackle the climate-change issue head-on with thorough reviews, dialogues, policy-making and legislation that things started to change, he said.

By 2012, U.K. emissions will be down 23.5 percent from their 1990 level, which will be a greater decrease than committed to in its Kyoto pledge, said Thomas Phipps, policy officer of the Climate Change and Energy Group under the U.K.'s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Phipps said he has seen positive signs and developments during his stay in Taiwan, where he met with Frances Liang, deputy minister of economic affairs, and Stephen Shen, minister of the Environmental Protection Administration. He also visited the Taiwan Power Co., the state-owned power-supply company.

"I feel like they wanted to know more about how to turn energy-intensive sectors into a part of low-carbon economy, " Phipps said of his hosts, adding that he also saw positive signs in the legislation and passage of Taiwan's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, because parts of the act are similar to the U.K.'s regulations.

It took the U.K. a decade to make significant progress in cutting carbon emissions, Phipps noted, but added that Taiwan could take much less time to achieve the same result by sharing the U.K.'s experience. (By Chris Wang) enditem/MH

Room for U.K.-Taiwan collaboration: BTCO

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Low carbon economy, creative industries and digital economy are among areas in which the United Kingdom and Taiwan can collaborate further under Britain's new coalition government, the top British representative in Taiwan said Tuesday.

The British government's position on Taiwan and China relations remains unchanged and is in line with that of the European Union, David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) -- the U.K.'s representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral diplomatic ties -- said at a media briefing.

Updating the media about the policy of the new government led by Conservative Party Prime Minister David Cameron and his Liberal Democrat deputy, Nick Clegg, Campbell said the administration "places trade and commercial interests at the heart of its foreign policy."

The coalition, which took office in May, is also tackling the biggest issue -- the scale of its deficit -- and is trying to re-balance the economy away from consumption toward saving, investment and enterprise, he said.

Taiwan can play a big role in the development of low carbon economy, creative industries, digital economy and the 2012 London Olympics, he said, adding that Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer, one of the International Olympic Committee's global partners, which will provide information technology services for the Olympics, serves as a good example of this.

The U.K. government is committed to developing a sustainable low carbon economy with an ambitious target of getting 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, Campbell said. With respect to the creative industries, the U.K. has the largest creative industry sector in the EU and many creative sub-sectors such as architecture, design and digital media.

Green energy and culture and creation are listed as two of the Taiwanese government's "Six Key Emerging Industries, " project that includes tourism, medicine and health care, biotechnology, and high-end agriculture, so the two countries share similar strategies and have common ground to foster closer collaboration and exchanges, he said.

Responding to a reporter's question on whether his office has noticed a loss of Taiwanese investors to China after the two sides signed the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) to further liberalize cross-Taiwan Strait trade, Campbell said that while the U.K. shares the same position as the EU in welcoming the signing of the ECFA, "it is too early to tell" what the impact of the trade pact will be.

"We would say there's good news and bad news for us. The good news is we attract a very large portion of Taiwanese investment in the EU. The bad news is that the percentage of Taiwan's investment in the EU is very small."

Campbell said his office is trying to explain the advantages in terms of Europe rather than just the U.K., because Taiwanese companies are not only interested in the U.K. market of 61 million but also in the EU market of 500 million people. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Five candidates win British Council scholarships

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Five Taiwanese aspirants have won the first IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Scholarships contested in Taiwan and will soon head overseas to start the fall semester in selected schools, the British Council Taipei announced Friday.

"We are delighted to announce the five winners of our new British Council IELTS scholarships for Taiwanese students planning to study at postgraduate levels at overseas universities," said Alison Devine, the new director of the British Council, the U.K.'s top international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

Lin Nen-wei, Lee Yi-fang, Wu Pin-hsien, Li Yi-shan and Luh Tau-yu will each receive a scholarship of NT$100,000, said Devine, who assumed her post in late June. Except for Luh, who will be studying in the United States, the other winners will be going to the U.K.

Devine said the winners were among 15 individuals who were selected from a pool of 153 applicants in the first phase of the process before emerging through the second-phase interview process.

Most of the winners are professionals with working experience. Li, who was admitted to the University of Edinburgh, has taught at a junior high school in the central city of Taichung for five years.

Lee, who will attend University College London and major in preschool education, has been an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers for four years.

"Most Taiwanese students choose to study in the U.K. because it takes only a year, rather than two years in the U.S., to receive a degree. It takes a lot of financial pressure off students and their parents," Lee said.

Annual tuition in the U.K. ranges between NT$400,000-500,000, Lee said, about half what it costs in the U.S.

The winners also praised IELTS, an exam testing the ability to listen, speak, write and read in English, and compared it favorably to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) , a U.S. Internet-based test, for its face-to-face interaction.

Prudence Chou, the British Council's Exam Service Manager, said the average score of Taiwanese students taking the test increased from 5.59 (out of nine points) in 2007 to 5.72 in 2009, but indicated that there was still room for improvement relative to the average scores of other Asian countries.

According to the British Council, female test takers outnumbered male test takers by a 7: 3 ratio, which one of the winners attributed to Taiwan's social traditions.

"I discussed the fact with my friends and most of them thought that it would be much harder for Taiwanese men to suspend their jobs without pay for a year like me. Men tend to shoulder more 'social pressure' to be financially stable in Taiwan's society, " said Li, who plans to resume her job as a teacher in late 2011.

The British Council Taipei said it will offer scholarships again in 2011 to help more Taiwanese students. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Lu Yen-hsun stopped by Djokovic in Wimbledon quarterfinal

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Taiwanese tennis player Lu Yen-hsun lost to the world No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in straight sets Wednesday, which stopped Lu short of the semifinal in the 2010 Wimbledon Tennis Championship.

Lu, 26, appeared not be in top form, as he lost 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 51 minutes to the third-seeded Djokovic.

Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open winner, was almost flawless in the match, blasting 29 winners over Lu's 13.

Despite being eliminated, Lu, who is currently ranked 82nd in the world, is expected to make the top 50 in the latest world ranking for the first time in his career with his berth in the Wimbledon quarterfinal.

Lu scored a marathon upset early Tuesday when he beat the world No. 7 Andy Roddick of the U.S. and became the first Taiwanese tennis player to advance to the quarterfinal round in a Grand Slam tournament.

According to Wimbledon broadcaster STAR TV, around 620,000 fans stayed up Tuesday to watch Lu's epic win over Roddick, which made headlines on almost every television news channel and in newspapers in Taiwan. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

AIT head proud of Taiwanese player's Wimbledon win

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) The top U.S. official in Taiwan said Wednesday that he is proud of Taiwanese tennis player Lu Yen-hsun's win in the fourth round of the Wimbledon tennis championship.

Unseeded Lu, ranked No. 82 in the world, upset American world No. 7 and fifth-seeded Andy Roddick in five sets to become the first Taiwanese male tennis player in history to advance to the quarterfinals in a grand slam event.

Even though Lu beat his compatriot, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office Director William Stanton said that "I'm very happy for Taiwan. I know the Taiwan people must be very proud. I'm very proud for you." Stanton was speaking on the sidelines of the 2010 America Month, an event focused on U.S. product promotion.

"Now Taiwan is not only known for its technological and commercial prowess but also is coming to the top of the world in athletics," Stanton said.

Lu is scheduled to meet world No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals at 8 p.m. Wednesday Taiwan time. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

UK-Taiwan relations headed in right direction: British diplomat

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Relations between Taiwan and the United Kingdom in the areas of trade, tourism and cultural exchanges have been going well, but Taiwan's reversion to death row executions is disappointing, the top British diplomat in Taipei indicated Wednesday.

Nonetheless, said David Campbell, Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei, he is generally optimistic about the direction of the bilateral relations.

"Taiwan's decision last year to make two international human rights covenants part of its domestic law was widely welcomed," said Campbell in a speech at the celebration of Britain's Queen Elizabeth's birthday.

"It was all the more disappointing, therefore, to see in April the abrupt end to Taiwna's de facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty," he said.

Campbell cited Taiwan's silver medal win for its orchids at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show and the Queen's visit to the Taiwan stand there last month as indicators of the scope of U.K.-Taiwan ties and the potential for Taiwan-made products to succeed in the U.K. market.

Although 2009 was a bad year for the global economy, Campbell said, U.K. exports to Taiwan were up 30 percent in the first quarter of 2010 over the same period last year.

According to Campbell, the number of Taiwanese visitors to the U.K. increased more than one third from previous years, after Taiwan was granted a visa-free privilege in March last year.

Campbell also said he was pleased to see strong educational links between the two countries. At any given time, there are at least 15,000 Taiwanese students studying in the U.K., which is the second most popular destination for overseas study among Taiwan students. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

Taiwan to develop stronger partnership with EU: President

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Taiwan appreciates the assistance European countries have offered on many fronts and is ready to develop a stronger partnership with the European Union (EU) in the future, President Ma Ying-jeou said at the annual Europe Day dinner Friday evening.

Ma lauded the integration of the EU as an inspiration for Taiwan and China and expressed gratitude for the EU's support, including 11 statements in 2009 alone that supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

That support contributed to Taiwan's first appearance at the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer last year.

He also thanked the EU for its assistance with the Typhoon Morakot relief effort last year.

In an appeal for further cooperation, Ma said that Taiwan is ready to enter talks with the EU on trade enhancement measures (TEMs) after the signing of the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China to establish a stronger economic partnership.

He also expressed the hope that Taiwan would be granted visa-free privileges in the Schengen Area -- consisting of 25 European countries -- within this year to make it more convenient for Taiwanese travelers to visit Europe.

Citing the example of the United Kingdom, Ma said the number of Taiwanese tourists traveling to the U.K. increased by 40 percent after the implementation of a visa-waver program.

Over 600 guests attended the dinner, including Guy Ledoux, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) and Nicholas Winsor, chairman of the European Chambers of Commerce (ECCT) and many government officials, In his review of Taiwan-EU relations, Ledoux brought up the sensitive issue of the abolition of the death penalty, saying that the EU encouraged Taiwan to resume the de facto moratorium on the death penalty after it executed four inmates April 30, the first executions in Taiwan since 2005.

Winsor praised Taiwan's government for steps taken to make the investment environment more attractive to foreign investors, in particular, for accepting the recommendation made in the ECCT's position papers for a number of years to lower the corporate income tax rate.

The Europe Day dinner is held every year to celebrate the founding of the EU. The year's dinner also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which called upon European countries to pool their coal and steel production for mutual benefit.

The declaration led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and eventually to the establishment of the modern EU. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Process for U.K. passport applications to change: BTCO

Taipei, April 16 (CNA) From May 17, United Kingdom passport applications for British nationals will no longer be handled by the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) and will need to be sent directly by the applicant to a regional passport processing center in Hong Kong, the UK's representative office in Taiwan announced Friday in a press release.

The office will no longer accept passport applications from British nationals, said the BTCO, Britain's official authority in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Previously, the BTCO acted as a middleman for British passport applications in Taipei, accepting the applications, sending them to the issuing authorities in Hong Kong, and then issuing the passport to the applicant.

According to the BTCO, the changes are part of a global initiative to streamline the issuance of passports overseas.

The Passport Processing Center in Hong Kong, which will produce and return passports directly to applicants in Taiwan, aims to issue all new passports within 10 working days, the office said.

If British nationals need to travel urgently, however, the BTCO will still be able to issue emergency travel documents. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Taiwan-UK relations improving as exchanges grow: BTCO director

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Relations between the United Kingdom and Taiwan have been substantially improving as the result of hard work and growing exchanges on all fronts, the U.K.'s representative to Taiwan said in an interview with the Central News Agency recently.

Increased trade flow and investment, and growing cultural, educational and tourism exchanges have all contributed to the improving bilateral ties, said David Campbell, director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , the country's official authority in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties.

In terms of tourism, the U.K.'s decision to lift visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists in March 2009 has pushed visitor numbers to Britain sharply higher.

According to statistics from Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, the number of Taiwanese visitors to the U.K. between March and December 2009 rose 37.2 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Also, Taiwan's EVA Air offers flights to London seven days a week and China Airlines will soon launch service to London three times a week, and Campbell believes that with increasing capacity and better packages, even more Taiwanese tourists can be expected to visit the U.K. in the future.

The number of Taiwanese students studying in the U.K. have also increased over the years, with about 15,000 Taiwanese currently enrolled in British educational institutions.

British education officials have been "full of praise" for Taiwanese students' accomplishments, Campbell said.

"It has been one of the success stories," he said. "I'm told that 20 years ago there were less than 50 and now the U.K. is the second most common destination, behind the U.S., for overseas Taiwanese students." The growing number of Taiwanese students in the U.K. had various levels of significance for bilateral ties, Campbell said.

More Taiwanese will understand and appreciate British culture, and Taiwanese businesses in the U.K. will have a larger talent pool of university graduates who can seamlessly blend in with the companies.

Campbell was also upbeat in describing the bilateral investment climate, noting that about 180 Taiwanese companies have invested in Britain.

Kenmark Industrial, an LCD (liquid crystal display) panel manufacturer, established a factory last year in East Midlands in one of the biggest investment projects undertaken by an Asian company in the U.K. recently, and electronics OEM Foxconn, IC design company MediaTek, mobile phone maker HTC and computer vendor Acer also operate there.

The prevalence of larger companies developing a presence in Britain does not mean, however, that smaller companies cannot succeed, Campbell said, citing the success of bicycle manufacturer Giant Manufacturing in the U.K. and Europe in recent years.

"It's not the size of the company, it's the range of your products, " Campbell stressed. He said that as more Taiwanese companies strategize globally, they should consider opportunities in Britain as a gateway to the European market.

The U.K. has been recognized as an ideal place to set up a corporate headquarters, having four times the number of any country in Europe, Campbell said.

Meanwhile, there are over 300 British companies operating in Taiwan, including banks HSBC and Standard Chartered, both of which have made acquisitions in Taiwan in recent years, the diplomat noted.

Cultural exchanges between British and Taiwanese institutions in the U.K. and Taiwan must also be highlighted as a source of increasing mutual understanding, he contended.

In some ways, Campbell said, the U.K. and Taiwan are much alike in focusing on innovation, new ideas, health care, education, urban development and the development of biotechnology.

He said his office has been working with government agencies and corporations in Taiwan on many issues, including climate change and urban regeneration.

On climate change, Campbell said he is happy with the responsive reaction from businesses and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the increased discussions in society, and the practical commitments made by President Ma Ying-jeou.

On the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China, Campbell said that the U.K. supports free trade in general, but his office will have to see more details to have a clearer picture of its content and impact.

The BTCO has been closely monitoring what European and British businesses want and will assess the benefits and impact of the agreement based on various resources, including an independent study by the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei, because ultimately the U.K. will "be very much influenced by U.K. businesses, " he said.

Taiwan players eye three-peat in women's pool tournament

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Local players will be setting their sights on a third consecutive pool tournament win when the Amway WPA Women's World 9-Ball Open begins in Taipei Thursday with the participation of 48 players from 19 countries.

The annual tournament, which is now in its 13th year, will be held from March 4-7 at The Living Mall, a major shopping center in downtown Taipei.

The competitors are a mix of experienced veterans and talented youngsters, including defending champion Chou Chieh-yu, U.K. veteran Allison Fisher, 14-year-old Kamila Khodjaeva of Uzbekistan, and China's 17-year-old Liu Sha-sha, who is ranked No.1 in the world.

Other notable players are Taiwanese veteran Liu Shin-mei; South Korea's Cha Yu-ram, Kim Ga-yong and Lim Yun-mi; Monica Webb and Vivian Villarreal of the U.S.; Japan's Chihiro Kawahara; and Taiwan's Lai Hui-shan and Chang Shu-han.

In the tournament, 24 of 48 players will advance from eight preliminary groups to the playoffs after a round robin "race to seven." A single-elimination format will be used in the playoffs, where players will match up in head-to-head battle. Semifinalists will play in a "race to nine" competition, with winners meeting in a race-to-eleven title game.

Chou Chieh-yu, 23, beat Ireland's Karen Corr 11-9 in the final last year to take the title. Taiwan's Lin Yuan-chun was the champion in 2008.

Tougher UK visa rules will not impact Taiwanese students

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) Tougher rules on UK visa applications which take effect Wednesday will not affect Taiwanese students aspiring to study in the United Kingdom, the UK representative office in Taipei and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

The new rules require that applicants have a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in a foreign language or its equivalent to study in the UK and that they take courses to improve their English language competency once they enter the UK. The rules also reduce in half the amount of time a student studying below first degree level will be able to work in the UK to just 10 hours per week during each school term.

The rule change was made because UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had requested a review of the student visa requirements in November 2009 to prevent abuse of the system.

David Campbell, Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) , said the new rules should not have any negative impact on Taiwanese students.

"These changes are aimed at reducing immigration abuse, and should not affect anyone who is studying at a reputable educational establishment, " Campbell said.

"UK universities and colleges have an excellent reputation worldwide, and we are very pleased that increasing number of Taiwanese students are choosing to take advantage of the opportunities they offer, " Campbell added.

Campbell also noted that the rules do not change the fact that Taiwanese students do not need visas to take up short courses (less than six months) in the UK.

BTCO is the UK's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also does not expect the new measure to negatively impact the number of Taiwanese students hoping to study in the UK, director-general of MOFA's Department of European Affairs Chiu Jong-jen said.

Currently, there are more than 15,000 Taiwanese students studying in the UK, Chiu said.

Eliza Lee, marketing and communications manager of the British Council, the UK's international cultural relations organization, said the measures are targeted at students from India, Pakistan and other countries who go to the UK to work rather than study.

"Taiwanese students enjoy a good reputation overseas because they work hard in school and always appreciate different cultures and blend in well, " said Lee.

The new regulations, Lee said, are beneficial to Taiwanese students because the UK government requested schools to register with the Education Ministry so those schools will be counted as "highly trusted institutions" and foreign students will be able to attend trusted institutions.

Taiwanese students who studied short language courses in the UK increased by 15 percent last summer after Taiwan was granted six-month visa-free treatment by the UK, she noted.

The new immigration rules also impose a ban on bringing in dependents for anyone studying a course for less than six months; and a ban on dependents of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working. 

Two crewmen of Taiwanese vessel die during Somali hijacking: MOFA

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) Two crewmen -- an Indonesian and a Chinese national -- of a Taiwanese fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates that was later used to attack the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama, have died, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The MOFA also said it had not received any information from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which reportedly wants the original crew of the Win Far 161 for questioning in connection with the piracy attack against Maersk Alabama.

The 700-ton longliner Win Far 161 and its crew of 30 were released Feb. 11 by Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel near an island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean April 6, 2009. Two days later, the vessel was reported to have been used by Somali pirates as a mother ship in the April 8 attack against the U.S. ship.

Earlier this month, the MOFA said all the crew were safe and denied a report from the maritime watchdog Ecoterra International saying that three men -- two Indonesians and one Chinese crewman -- had died of malnutrition and disease.

The Win Far 161 is expected to return to Taiwan in mid-March, said Samuel Chen, director-general of MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

According to Ecoterra International, the 10-month Win Far 161 ordeal was the longest-running case of Somali piracy.

"During the 10 months the vessel was held in Somalia, information received by the ministry was vague and conflicting due to a lack of electronic communication, " Department of African Affairs section chief Huang Chih-yang said.

The ministry had trouble sending staff to Somalia due to safety concerns and had to rely heavily on the ship owner for information. The ship's owner did the negotiation for ransom and did not allow the ministry to interfere, Huang noted.

Chen rebutted reports that the hostages' respective authorities did not provide assistance to the crewmen and said the rescue was a coordinated international effort that involved many international organizations.

The ministry is aware of the report that the Win Far 161 was used to attack the Maersk Alabama right after it was seized, Huang went on, adding that global positioning system information shows the Taiwanese vessel was close to the U.S. ship at the time.

"It could have been used, but there is no way for us to confirm that at present, " Huang said.