Beijing, Oct. 10: The United States'' decision to sell arms to Taiwan has been strongly condemned by the Chinese defence ministry.

Huang Xueping, a spokesman of the Chinese Defense Ministry, reacting to Pentagon spokesman Stuart Upton''s remarks on Monday that Washington''s arms sales were consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, said: "We are strongly dissatisfied and opposed to the Pentagon spokesman''s remarks. The so-called ''Taiwan Relations Act'' severely ran counter to the principles of the three Sino-U. S. joint communiqués and the fundamental norms governing international relations."

He added the United States had no right to place domestic law above international ones, or use it as an excuse to sell weapons to Taiwan.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, in his National Day speech, called for peace with China under the precondition that Taiwan's sovereign and defence is guaranteed.

Presiding over the first National Day celebration since his May 20 inauguration, Ma said his pursuing peace and expanding exchanges with China has won support from the international community.

Taipei- Nestle Taiwan agreed on Thursday to refund consumers after 10 more brands of its China-made milk powder were found to contain small traces of the toxic chemical melamine.

"Beginning today, consumers can ask for refund at the sales outlets where they bought the products before November 30, regardless of whether the containers are already opened and whether they still have the payment receipts or not," the company said in a statement.

It also said consumers can choose to replace the old products with new ones supplied from countries outside China by the beginning of November.

Taipei - Former US Major League baseball player Cory Bailey and two Taiwan players were suspended from games Thursday due to their alleged involvement in match fixing, Taiwan baseball authorities said Thursday.

"If players are involved in match fixing, we will terminate contracts with them and seek damage," Lee Wen-pin, secretary-general of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (PBL), told reporters.

Bailey, 37, has played in US Major and Minor leagues since 2001 and played for Japan's Yomiuri Giants in 2003.

He played for Taiwan's La New team 2004-2005 before returning to play for Chicago Cubs.

Taipei - Taiwan's centr

Taipei - German chemical giant Bayer AG plans to open two research and developments centres in Taiwan, with starting investment totaling about 6 million US dollars, a Bayer official said Wednesday.

Steffan Huber, president of Bayer Taiwan Co, made the announcement at a news conference in Taipei. It comes as more companies are expressing an interest in investing in Taiwan.