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The China Post news staff    Ma departs today for Rome with his wife, Chow Mei-ching, and three other delegates from Taiwan to the inaugural Mass slated for Tuesday. The gift for the new pope is a magpie-theme vase produced by Franz, a Taiwan-based ceramic vendor, said the spokesperson, Lee Chia-fei, explaining that the bird is a traditional Taiwanese symbol of good fortune, which is fitting for the present occasion. Ma will also send the retired Pope Benedict XVI a tea-blossom-themed vase, Lee added. Lee said Franz — a successful Taiwan-based brand whose popularity has been growing fast internationally — was chosen because the company chairman is a Catholic and an alumnus of Taipei's Fu Jen Catholic University, whose head, Vincent Chiang, is also in the Taiwan delegation to the inauguration. She said gifts for other people are also mostly ceramic pieces, and all of which have been carefully packed and loaded onboard the charter plane that will take Ma and the others to Rome. The plane is scheduled to depart today, flying non-stop to Rome. Ma is expected to leave on March 20, flying straight back to Taiwan. It will be Ma's first official visit to the Vatican, which is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe. The Holy See has expressed a warm welcome to Ma, and sources were cited by the Central News Agency as saying that the Vatican has laid down no restrictions on the president's visit in terms of the length of the stay and his itinerary. The Vatican has suggested places, such as museums and churches, which Ma may want to see, the sources were cited as saying. The sources added that Ma will visit Taiwan's embassy in the Vatican and meet with Taiwanese priests and expatriates living in Italy. Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said he does not expect Ma's Vatican trip to dampen cross-strait relations. He urged Beijing to respect Taipei's interactions with its diplomatic ally. The CNA also cited sources as commenting that Ma's visit is a normal diplomatic move and will tighten mutual ties. |
 This image shows the R.O.C. national flag, upper right corner, flying at Taiwan's embassy in Vatican City. (CNA)
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US canceling key part of Euro missile defenseBy Desmond Butler ,AP The cancellation of the interceptors, which were to be deployed in Poland and possibly Romania early next decade, offers a potential opening for new arms control talks. Russian officials suspect the interceptors were a counter to their missiles and had indicated that they would not consider further nuclear arms cuts unless their concerns were resolved. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced the cancellation Friday as part of an overall restructuring of the missile defense plans aimed at stopping missiles from North Korea and Iran. He made no reference to Russia's objections. He said that other parts of the missile defense plans in Europe would move forward and that the U.S. commitment to missile defense in Europe “remains ironclad.” The restructuring includes spending US$1 billion to add 14 new interceptors to the 26 that are in underground silos in Alaska to counter the threat from North Korea. The shift in U.S. missile defense plans in Europe — the second major change to the program since Obama has been in the White House — could spark unease among some U.S. allies, including Poland and Romania, who see the system as a counterweight to Russia. Missile defense has been a contentious issue since President George W. Bush sought to base long-range interceptors in central Europe to stop Iranian missiles from reaching the U.S. Russia believed the program was aimed at countering its own missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent. Obama reworked the Bush administration's plan soon after taking office in 2009, canceling an earlier interceptor planned for Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, and replacing the high-speed interceptors with slower ones that could stop Iran's medium-range missiles. Under his plan the interceptors were to be upgraded gradually over four phases, culminating early next decade with those intended to protect both Europe and the U.S. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Jousting With Toothpicks - The Case For Challenging Corporate Journalism http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/alerts-2013/719-jousting-with-toothpicks-the-case-for-challenging-corporate-journalism.html. |
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