Several of the nation’s embassies and representative offices have updated their Facebook pages, adding “Taiwan” to their names and profile pictures to promote the nation.
The name change was advised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle changed the name of its Facebook page to “Taiwan in Seattle” and uploaded a new profile picture featuring an illustration of Taiwan proper with the word “Taiwan” on it.
Image copied from the Facebook timeline of the Taiwan Representative Office in the EU and Belgium
Representative offices that have changed their Facebook names include those in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Sao Paulo, Vancouver, Peru, Chile, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Indonesia and Naha, Japan.
The nation’s representative offices in Denver, Brussels, Geneva and Palau also changed their names and uploaded the same profile picture.
Those that have announced a name change, but have yet to do so include the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands.
Since opening a Facebook account in July last year, the ministry has encouraged embassies and representative offices to set up Facebook accounts, said Henry Chen (陳銘政), head of the Department of International Information Services.
Of the more than 100 embassies and representative offices, 54 have a Facebook page, he added.
The pages previously adopted different nomenclatures and profile pictures, which in some cases made it difficult to tell whether the offices represented Taiwan, Chen said.
As a result, the ministry last month advised them to use the same name format and profile picture, he said, adding that the name “Taiwan” is more direct and clear than “Taipei office.”
The Department of International Information Services offered the advise, but did not require the offices to adopt them, he added.
Asked whether the name change was suggested with any political intentions in mind, especially after a referendum to rename the national sports team was rejected on Nov. 24, Chen said that was not the case.
The goal was simply to ensure that the offices have a consistent image and to allow visitors to immediately know that they represent Taiwan.
The ministry decided to promote the name change on Facebook first, because it is the main social media platform used by Taiwanese embassies and representative offices, he said, adding that only some of them are on Twitter.
The Facebook pages of the nation’s embassies and representative offices have more than 100,000 followers and are viewed more than 1 million times every month, Chen said.
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS