On tap today (Monday)

It's a little after three in the morning here, so I'll go ahead and post today's agenda here in Taiwan. I understand the sun'll come up at 5:00, so I'm going to try and get in a run before the day starts. We have three diplomatic meetings scheduled today:

9:00 a.m. -- We'll meet with Dr. Chen-Yuan Tung, Vice Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, Executive Yuan. The Executive Yuan is commonly referred to as the cabinet, and the MAC is a cabinet-level administrative agency that is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of policies between Taiwan and mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The premier (head of the Executive Yuan and appointed by the president) reports regularly to the legislature. In an effort to study up on Dr. Tung, I found his bio online and learned that he received his PhD in international affairs from Johns Hopkins. His expertise is on economic relations between Taiwan and China, Chinese economic development, Taiwan-U.S.-China trilateral relations, and international economics.

1:00 p.m. -- We'll meet with officers at the Government Information Office, Executive Yuan

5:30 p.m. -- We'll meet with Taiwan business leaders, including Mr. Leslie Koo, President, Taiwan Cement Corporation. I also found his bio online -- Mr. Koo is a graduate of the University of Washington, and he earned his MBA from Penn. Under Mr. Koo’s leadership, Taiwan Cement Corporation is the largest cement manufacturing and sales company in Taiwan with 55% of the market share. Time permitting, Mr. Koo will lead us on a tour of the Taipei World Trade Center tonight.

The headline of the day here is also being reported in the United States: Taiwan is considering forgiving debts it is owed by some of its most impoverished diplomatic allies [ADG]

Here's a link to a good editorial in Sunday's Taipei Times regarding the relationships between the United States, Taiwan, and China.

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Meanwhile, there is plenty going on in Arkansas today (well, Monday) as well:

10:00 a.m. -- ALC Litigation Reports Oversight Committee (Rm. 149, Capitol) Agenda

10:30 a.m. -- Governor Beebe addresses the Arkansas Rural Education Association Summer Conference at Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs

2:00 p.m. -- Governor Beebe holds a news conference to promote affordable health care for Arkansas small businesses at QuestCorp in Pine Bluff

6:00 p.m. -- Texarkana, Arkansas City Board Ward 1 meeting (Bramble Courts)

7:00 p.m. -- Governor Beebe speaks at the Crossett Rotary Club Annual Banquet