Taipei - Typhoon Hagupit skirted Taiwan Tuesday on its way to China.

After leaving at least one dead and three people missing in the Philippines, the eye of Hagupit churned into the Bashih Strait separating Taiwan and the Philippines. It brought strong winds and heavy rain across Taiwan but no damage or injuries were reported.

The Central Weather Bureau lifted the land warning for Hagupit early Tuesday as the storm was heading toward China's Guangong coast - the area between Hong Kong and the Hainan Island.

By 5:30 am Tuesday (2130 GMT Monday), the centre of Hagupit was 360 kilometres south-west of Taiwan's southern tip Erlunpi, and the typhoon circle, with a radius of 280 km, had already entered the South China Sea.

Taipei - A Taiwan-based Chinese dissident, angry that the Taiwan government has not granted him permanent asylum, on Monday asked Taipei to send him back to China.

Cai Lujun, 40, said he made the request because he can no longer endure the "endless wait" for asylum and the humiliation of living like a "half-ghost, half-human being" in Taiwan.

He said he is not afraid of imprisonment in China for defecting to Taiwan, because it is better being jailed in China than begging for food and waiting indefinitely for asylum in Taiwan, he said in a statement.

Taipei - Typhoon Hagupit is coming towards Taiwan on the heels of Typhoon Sinlaku which left at least 11 dead and 11 missing on the island, the Central Weather Bureau said Sunday.

Having formed over the Philippine Sea over the weekend, Hagupit is charging towards Taiwan and China's east coast, the bureau said.

By 17:30 pm (0930 GMT) Sunday, the centre of Hagupit was 710 kilometres south-east of Taiwan's southern tip Erlunpi.

Moving in a north-westerly direction at 21 kilometres per hour, Hagupit packs centre winds of 119 kph and gusts of 155 kph.

Taipei - Taiwan will amend a law to allow Chinese students attend universities in Taiwan in line with President Ma Ying-jeou's plan to ease tension with Beijing, a newspaper said on Sunday.

The United Daily News quoted said the Mainland Affairs Council has submitted the revised bill on cross-strait ties to parliament, hoping it can be passed in the current session.

Under the revised bill, Taiwan will recognize China's diplomas and will allow Chinese students study to in Taiwan, the paper quoted council spokesman Liu Teh-hsun as saying.

Taipei- The Ninth China Book Exhibition opened in Taipei on Saturday, amid expanding economic and cultural ties between Taipei and Beijing.

Some 400 Chinese publishing companies are taking part in the book fair at the Taipei World Trade Centre, which displays some 120,000 book and magazine titles from China.

Relations between China and Taiwan have warmed following the inauguration of Taiwan's China-friendly president Ma Ying-jeou.

Taipei- Lawrence Ho, son of Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho, on Friday expressed interest in building casinos in Taiwan.

"If the Taiwan government lifts the ban on gambling, I am interested in making investments in Taiwan," he said while attending a seminar in Taipei on Taiwan, Hong Kong and China business opportunities.

Ho said Taiwan has a ideal geographical location, being near South-East Asia and China.