Taipei  - Taiwan's Defense Ministry came under Sunday from parliamentarians for quietly removing the military attache titles from officers stationed in the US.

"Didn't those responsible for decision making at the defense ministry know nothing about the consequence of the move? It is a belittling of our sovereignty," said Lin Yu-fang, parliamentarian of the ruling Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT).

He said it took Taiwan great efforts to convince the US to allow the island to keep the military attache posts after formal diplomatic relations between Taipei and Washington were cut in 1979.

Taipei  - Taiwan sent its ruling party chief Sunday to assure Japan that Taipei values their relations while improving it ties with China.

During the week-long visit, Wu Poh-hsiung, chairman of the pro-China Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), will meet with officials from all political parties of Japan and call on Japanese politicians who are friendly to Taiwan, the KMT said in a statement.

According to the statement, President Ma Ying-jeou asked Wu to tell Japan that Taiwan values their relationship and will not neglect Japan while developing ties with China.

Taipei - The Archbishop of the Taipei Archdiocese will invite Pope Benedict XVI to visit Taiwan next year, a newspaper said on Saturday.

According to the Taipei Times, Archbishop John Hung led a delegation to the Vatican on Saturday to report for the first time to the pope on the state of Taiwan's dioceses, and invite the pontiff to the island.

The invitation seeks his attendance at next year's celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic Church in Taiwan.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Friday said he welcomes Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit, but only when the time is "appropriate."

"When the timing is appropriate, we welcome him to visit Taiwan to engage in various religious activities because he has many worshippers in Taiwan," said Ma, in an attempt to pacify a growing outcry over his recent hint of declining to host the Dalai Lama.

In a meeting with a group of Italian lawmakers, Ma said Taiwan welcomes all religious leaders to visit the island for religious activities.

He said the Dalai Lama, who has visited Taiwan twice, is highly respected by many worshippers on the island.