Taipei - A Shenzhen Airlines plane from China landed at Taipei's Sungshan Airport early Monday, as the two former civil war enemies opened direct transport and postal links.
The plane, which left Shenzhen airport at 7:20 am (2320 GMT) carrying 112 people, arrived at Sungshan Airport in an hour and 30 minutes, becoming the first plane from China to kick off the historic daily charter flights across the Taiwan Strait.
Taipei - Pope Benedict XVI has turned down the invitation from the Archbishop of the Taipei Archdiocese to visit Taiwan next year, news reports said Sunday.
The Central News Agency said that Archbishop John Hung extended the invitation to the pope during his week-long visit to the Holy See which ended on Sunday.
During two audiences, Hung invited the pope to attend celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic church in Taiwan. The pope only smiled and gave no affirmative answer.
A Vatican official told Hung that the pope had a busy scheduled for the next two years, so he probably would not be able to visit Taiwan. But he would send an envoy to preside over the celebrations in Taiwan.
Taipei - Taiwan's Foreign Minister Francisco Ou has come under criticism by the opposition party for saying that the Dalai Lama's overseas visits are politically motivated, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Ou made the remark Saturday while giving a speech on Taiwan's foreign policies at the Yishou University in Kaohsiung County, south Taiwan, according to the Liberty Times.
During the question and answer period, a student asked Ou's opinion on the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, visiting Taiwan.
Taipei - Taiwan's ruling party chief Wu Poh-hsiung returned home Saturday after visiting Japan to boost ties and achieving Tokyo's promise to back Taiwan joining the World Health Organization (WHO).
During the week-long visit, Wu, chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party, met with Japanese officials and held two news conferences to convey President Ma Ying-jeou's message that Taiwan values its ties with Japan while improving ties with China.
Taipei - Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian was expected to be indicted on corruption charges Friday afternoon, becoming the first Taiwanese leader to be charged.
The Supreme Prosecutor's Office announced it will hold a news conference at 3:15 pm (0715GMT), and it is expected to announce the indictment of Chen and possibly members of his family.
Taiwan press said the indictment document is 800 pages, and Chen is likely to be indicted on four charges of corruption, which could result in 30 years imprisonment or a life term.
Taipei - The rivalry between Taiwan and China has eased significantly in the past year, following the return to power of the Beijing-friendly Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT).
But it will be difficult for the two sides to achieve a real truce, given the "one China" principle of Beijing, and Taipei's insistence on political sovereignty, analysts said.
Many are also skeptical over whether Beijing is willing to allow Taipei to remain independent indefinitely, though it has been on good terms with the KMT government.
Taipei - A Shenzhen Airlines plane from China landed at Taipei's Sungshan Airport early Monday, as the two former civil war enemies opened direct transport and postal links.
Taipei - Taiwan's Foreign Minister Francisco Ou has come under criticism by the opposition party for saying that the Dalai Lama's overseas visits are politically motivated, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Taipei - Taiwan's ruling party chief Wu Poh-hsiung returned home Saturday after visiting Japan to boost ties and achieving Tokyo's promise to back Taiwan joining the World Health Organization (WHO).
Taipei - Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian was expected to be indicted on corruption charges Friday afternoon, becoming the first Taiwanese leader to be charged.
