Taiwanese Premier Sean Chen said yesterday he had accepted the resignation of his labour minister after she failed to push through a 1.42 per cent rise in the island's monthly minimum wage. Chen acknowledged Wang Ju-hsuan's performance over the past four years but did not name her successor. Wang stepped down after she failed to convince Chen to raise the minimum monthly wage to NT$19,047 (HK$5,021). However, Chen did give the green light to a separate push by Wang for a nearly 7 per cent increase for workers paid by the hour. Some labour rights groups were furious at her departure, accusing the government of bowing to business groups critical of the pay raise, and vowed mass protests. AFP

The Chinese and US militaries wound up a two-day annual meeting in northern port city of Qingdao , agreeing to enhance contacts and communication to increase mutual trust and co-operation. They exchanged views on maritime security situations of the two countries since 2010 and discussed detailed measures to solve problems in this area. They also agreed to strengthen military-to-military co-operation on anti-piracy and humanitarian aid as well as disaster relief efforts. Xinhua