President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated the government’s open stance on the US beef imports issue and insisted that his administration had not made any promises to the US, pledging not to risk public health over the issue.
“There are no presumptions or timetables in the matter and the government did not make any promises to the US. Some people have assumed that we would open up the country to US beef imports after the elections, but that is not true,” he said in Yunlin County.
The possibility of relaxing restrictions on US beef imports has led to heated debate across the political spectrum since the presidential election.
Photo: Huang Wen-huang, Taipei Times
Opposition lawmakers on Friday boycotted Premier Sean Chen's (陳冲) policy address for six hours until he promised not to lift a ban before June on US beef containing traces of the feed additive ractopamine without the legislature’s consent.
Ma said yesterday that Chen and the lawmakers reached a consensus on the issue and that the government would continue to prioritize public health and food safety.
Ma and vice president-elect Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) traveled to Yunlin County, Chiayi County and Greater Tainan as they met with presidential election campaign staff to thank them for their dedication during the campaign.
Ma detailed the government’s policies in the previous four years and promised to facilitate reforms, while continuing to promote cross-strait relations during his second term.
“The next four years will be extremely important for Taiwan ... I will defend the sovereignty of the Republic of China and ensure” national security is protected when handling any issue that involves Taiwan’s national interests, he said in Yunlin.
Ma, in his capacity as KMT chairman, later traveled to Kinmen County as part of his post-election thanksgiving tour, and stayed a night at the family residence of Fujian Provincial Government Chairman James Hsueh (薛承泰).
The “home-stay” trip in Kinmen marked the first such trip Ma has made since he was re-elected last month.
He had stayed with farmers and small-business owners around the nation during the presidential campaign as part of his effort to understand local issues.
Ma has asked members of his new Cabinet to undertake home-stays and increase interaction with local residents.
Such trips would help them better understand issues of public concern, while allowing them to promote policies directly to the public, he told Cabinet officials during a meeting at KMT headquarters on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old