Scores of US congressmen sent letters to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) congratulating him on his inauguration for a second term in office, pledging their "unequivocal" support. They also urged him to work for renewed cross-strait dialogue and slammed Beijing for its recent threats to use force against Taiwan.
"As you begin your second term," 55 members of the US House of Representatives wrote in one letter, "we hope to reassure you that we are committed to the security, prosperity and future of the people of Taiwan. We know that you will continue to be a strong advocate for the people of Taiwan and we welcome the opportunity to work with you and to foster even stronger links between our two democracies."
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
A similar letter is being circulated in the US Senate and is still collecting signatures, according to a spokesman for Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, who is circulating the letter. It is expected to be sent today.
The House letter promised a "renewed American effort" to secure Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization and other international organizations, enhance Taiwan security, improve trade and economic relations, retain "the continuation of high-level meetings between American and Taiwanese Cabinet members," and make "a concerted effort to reinvigorate cross-strait talks."
While the letter pressed Chen to work to renew talks with China, it also addressed the need for Beijing to cooperate.
"We strongly believe that continued statements coming from Beijing threatening to use force against Taiwan are unacceptable ... the United States is committed to ensuring that the future of Taiwan be determined peacefully by the people of Taiwan and free from outside threats, intimidation, or interference."
The congressmen were led in writing the letter by two of the co-chairmen of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Ohio representatives Sherrod Brown and Steve Chabot. California's Dana Rohrbacher, another co-chair, also signed the letter.
The fourth co-chair, Robert Wexler of Florida, however, did not sign the letter.
Wexler said it was inappropriate to sign until the legal procedures surrounding the ballot recount were completed, since he has lodged his own lawsuit against the state of Florida to overturn a ruling blocking the recount of electronic votes there.
The suit stems from the 2000 US presidential election, which was decided by the Supreme Court in favor of US President George W. Bush over Al Gore after a dispute over Florida's vote count and recount.
Wexler's electoral district was at the heart of that dispute.
Death row inmate Huang Lin-kai (黃麟凱), who was convicted for the double murder of his former girlfriend and her mother, is to be executed at the Taipei Detention Center tonight, the Ministry of Justice announced. Huang, who was a military conscript at the time, was convicted for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Wang (王), and the murder of her mother, after breaking into their home on Oct. 1, 2013. Prosecutors cited anger over the breakup and a dispute about money as the motives behind the double homicide. This is the first time that Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) has
Ferry operators are planning to provide a total of 1,429 journeys between Taiwan proper and its offshore islands to meet increased travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday. The available number of ferry journeys on eight routes from Saturday next week to Feb. 2 is expected to meet a maximum transport capacity of 289,414 passengers, the bureau said in a news release. Meanwhile, a total of 396 journeys on the "small three links," which are direct ferries connecting Taiwan's Kinmen and Lienchiang counties with China's Fujian Province, are also being planned to accommodate
BITTERLY COLD: The inauguration ceremony for US president-elect Donald Trump has been moved indoors due to cold weather, with the new venue lacking capacity A delegation of cross-party lawmakers from Taiwan, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), for the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, would not be able to attend the ceremony, as it is being moved indoors due to forecasts of intense cold weather in Washington tomorrow. The inauguration ceremony for Trump and US vice president-elect JD Vance is to be held inside the Capitol Rotunda, which has a capacity of about 2,000 people. A person familiar with the issue yesterday said although the outdoor inauguration ceremony has been relocated, Taiwan’s legislative delegation has decided to head off to Washington as scheduled. The delegation
TRANSPORT CONVENIENCE: The new ticket gates would accept a variety of mobile payment methods, and buses would be installed with QR code readers for ease of use New ticketing gates for the Taipei metro system are expected to begin service in October, allowing users to swipe with cellphones and select credit cards partnered with Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), the company said on Tuesday. TRTC said its gates in use are experiencing difficulty due to their age, as they were first installed in 2007. Maintenance is increasingly expensive and challenging as the manufacturing of components is halted or becoming harder to find, the company said. Currently, the gates only accept EasyCard, iPass and electronic icash tickets, or one-time-use tickets purchased at kiosks, the company said. Since 2023, the company said it
RSS