PRESS DIGEST-Taiwan - January 9

TAIPEI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan newspapers carried the following stories on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA TIMES

-- A decision by four local banks to lower time deposit rates to less than 1 percent will affect more than 10 million depositors, following the central bank's emergency rate cut of 50 basis points on Wednesday.

-- Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said people could visit the two giant pandas donated by China starting on Jan. 26.

UNITED DAILY NEWS

-- A government official said Taiwan was looking into a plan to send naval ships to the Gulf of Aden, where rampant pirate attacks have threatened its commercial boats.

-- Diane Lee resigned her legislative seat after a dual nationality scandal had surpassed 300 days.

LIBERTY TIMES

-- Chiang Pin-kung, Taiwan's top negotiator on China affairs, said formal cross-Strait negotiations, on topics including a financing memorandum of understanding, would take place in China after the Lunar New Year, which begins on Jan. 26.