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Former Taiwan vice president to start pro-independence newspaper

Other News Materials 1 February 2009 11:52 (UTC +04:00)

Taiwan's former vice president announced plans Sunday to start a newspaper to advocate for Taiwanese independence from China.

Annette Lu, 64, who ended two terms as vice president in May, held a luncheon in Taipei to raise funds for the afternoon paper, the Formosa Post, scheduled to begin publication July 1.

Lu raised 13 million Taiwan dollars (400,000 US dollars) at the event but said she needs 600 million (18 million US) to start the paper, and is recruiting reporters.

Lu said her recent trip to the US to attend Barack Obama's inauguration hardened her determination to publish a newspaper.

"Some US politicians think that Taiwan has surrendered to China and Taiwan people go with that. If Taiwan people make no noise, the US would think that what the Taiwan government does, is the will of Taiwan people, so the US would not interfere," she said.

"There is a different voice in Taiwan, but the voice is not loud enough. So we need to have a newspaper to unite more Taiwanese," she said.

Lu's chances of succeeding regarded as slim because of the fierce competition among newspapers for shrinking advertising revenue and with the internet. Several Taiwan newspapers have stopped publishing in recent years.

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