In a bid to help foreign residents better adapt to Taiwan and experience a higher quality of life, the government yesterday launched an English-language Web site with information on daily living and an accompanying 24-hour hotline.
The "International Community Service Web site and Hotline" is part of the Executive Yuan's National Development Plan, which includes measures to make the nation more English-friendly.
"Facing immense pressure from global competition and increasingly frequent contacts with countries all over the world, the Taiwanese government is actively seeking to globalize the country and keep pace with global development," Vice Premier Wu Rong-i (
"With the rapid growth in the number of foreigners in Taiwan, the key to retaining foreign talent is the provision of information in English to help foreigners to feel at home while living in Taiwan," Wu said.
The Web site, at iff.npa.gov.tw, contains sections covering basic subjects, including visa and passport issues, health care, housing and safety. Users can also log on according to whether they are a tourist, foreign student or foreign dependent for more direct and quick access to related information. A map of Taiwan, weather forecasts, and online Chinese conversation classes are also available on the site.
The international community service hotline, 0800-024-111, is run by Chunghwa Telecom. It offers information in both Chinese and English year-round, and the government says it will ensure that all inquiries are addressed within three working days at the most.
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS