The national flag of the Republic of China (ROC) that was hung along with flags of other countries between two buildings on a street near Piccadilly Circus in central London was removed four days later, an incident which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei has pledged to look into.
The appearance of the ROC flag delighted Taiwanese students studying in London, with photographs of the flag flying in the air uploaded to the Facebook page of the Taiwanese Student Association in the UK.
According to Taiwanese students in the UK, a total of 206 national flags were placed in alphabetical order down the street. The ROC flag was hung with flags of Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Thailand.
However, the ROC national flag disappeared yesterday. A student named Kenneth Wong posted a photo on Facebook lamenting the disappearance of the flag.
“The Olympics are a place to demonstrate patriotism, but if your country regrettably does not participate in the Games, don’t bother taking your national flag inside the stadium. If you feel that the national flag of South Sudan is enjoyable, leave it at home. The Taiwanese audience is most pathetic because they can’t cheer for Taiwanese athletes by flying their national flag, but only the Chinese Taipei Olympic Flag,” Wong said.
Some netizens responding to his message blamed China for the removal of the flag. “How come?” one said.
“Because of pressure from China?” another said.
Some netizens condemned China, while others said that “it was outrageous.”
Ministry spokesperson Steve Hsia (夏季昌) last night said the ministry has instructed the country’s representative in the UK to look into the matter.
The ministry’s initial understanding was that the flags were hung by the Regent Street Association, a civic group, and had nothing to do with the London Olympic Committee, he said.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS