The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed its gratitude for US President Barack Obama’s recognition of Taiwan’s efforts in the global fight against terrorism, saying its current focus is on providing humanitarian assistance.
Obama on Sunday mentioned Taiwan as a member of a global coalition to counter the Islamic State during a speech at the East Asia summit in Kuala Lumpur.
He also named Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea as partners in the US’ anti-terrorism efforts.
“The Asia-Pacific [region] is absolutely critical to promoting security, prosperity and human dignity around the world. That’s why I’ve devoted so much of my foreign policy to deepening America’s engagement with this region,” Obama said.
“Over the years, our friends here in Asia have been victims of terrorism, and many of them are close counterterrorism partners with us,” he said.
Ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said Taiwan has assisted with humanitarian and emergency-response missions as part of its contributions to the international anti-terror effort.
Amid the terror attacks and civil wars in the Middle East, Taiwan has offered humanitarian aid to the region through the US, other nations and international organizations, such as donating prefabricated houses, LED lamps and nearly US$10 million in medical supplies, she said.
Taipei’s humanitarian assistance to refugees from the region has been recognized by the US and the international community, Wang said.
Taiwan’s active role in the international community as a provider of humanitarian aid and a regional peacemaker are in line with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) foreign policy, she said.
Taipei and Washington have established strong mutual trust and have cooperated closely through various and multilayer channels in areas including politics, trade and economics, she said.
“In an effort to enhance bilateral cooperation in responding to global challenges, the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on the Global Cooperation Training Framework in June,” Wang said.
Taiwan and the US are to continue expanding the scope of their bilateral cooperation on regional and global issues, which is likely to raise Taipei’s international profile and increase the levels of roles it can play in the international community, she said.
In related developments, the Ministry of the Interior said the National Police Agency and the National Immigration Agency are cooperating with major countries on intelligence exchanges to safeguard the nation’s security.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Jonathan Chen (陳純敬) said that the police agency has stationed liaison officers in Southeast Asian countries to exchange information with local governments, and is working with the US and other countries on entry and departure information of travelers.
These efforts can make Taiwan more secure, Chen said.
Additional reporting by CNA
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
TALKS CONTINUE: Although an agreement has not been reached with Washington, lowering the tariff from 32 percent to 20 percent is still progress, the vice premier said Taiwan would strive for a better US tariff rate in negotiations, with the goal being not just lowering the current 20-percent tariff rate, but also securing an exemption from tariff stacking, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday. Cheng made the remarks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan explaining the new US tariffs and the government’s plans for supporting affected industries. US President Donald Trump on July 31 announced a new tariff rate of 20 percent on Taiwan’s exports to the US starting on Thursday last week, and the Office of Trade Negotiations on Friday confirmed that it
RSS