Good afternoon. It's 4 o'clock. I'm Jill Chou with EZ News on ICRT.
The local news:
President Ma Ying-jeou called on the Legislative Yuan
to speed up the review of a services trade agreement with China
He said it would demonstrate the
government's unified support for economic liberalization.
Speaking at a reception to celebrate a free trade pact signed by
Taiwan and Singapore, Ma said Taiwan has begun talking
about signing
economic cooperation agreements with major trading
partners, including China, Japan and the United States.
He added, however, that Taiwan is "lagging far behind"
Singapore, which had signed six major trade agreements with its partners
He hopes the review of an agreement between
Taiwan and China will begin as soon as possible to "demonstrate the support
of both the Executive and the Legislative branches for the nation's policy of liberalizing its
economy."
In world news:
Russia's Foreign Ministry says Syria's main Western-backed opposition group is refusing to participate
in talks in Moscow.
A ministry spokesman says the Syrian
National Coalition is ``blocking and refusing to participate'' in the talks, which
would focus on resolving the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Russian officials had hoped the talks would
bolster prospects for a proposed peace conference the U.S. and Russia are trying to
convene in Geneva.
Taiwan Weather
According to Central Weather Bureau forecasters, it'll be
clear over much of Taiwan this afternoon, with lows of 23 or 24 in the north and
south, 22 in the center.
Tomorrow, expect more sunny skies, though their may be some clouds in the south. Highs then will peak at 30 or 31 north and south, 29 midisland.
Right now, it's
26 in Taipei
27 in Taizhong
27 in Gaoxiong
That's EZ News at 4. I'm Jill Chou.