Taiwan is open to dialogue with China, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, just days before he is to take office.“I will not rule out dialogue with China on the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefits and dignity,” Lai said in a prerecorded video,
‘TOO LATE’: Yu Pei-chen, a Taoyuan councilor and ex-army general, said the Chinese officials were 41 years late in imposing sanctions on him, as he enlisted in 1983
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) yesterday announced sanctions against five Taiwanese politicians, pundits and public figures critical of Beijing, accusing them of spreading disinformation about China.The five are: Liu Bao-jie (劉寶傑), Lee Zheng-hao (李正皓), Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), Yu Pei-chen (于北辰), Hu
If the WHO is serious about its goal of “Health for All,” it would allow Taiwan to attend all of its meetings, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday.Taiwan is excluded from most international organizations because of objections by China.The WHO’s director-general should take the
he United States will send a delegation of former officials to Taiwan next week for the inauguration of president-elect Lai Ching-te, a US official said, warning China against any retaliation. The team attending the ceremony on May 20 includes President Joe Biden’s former National Economic Council d
About 100 rights advocates and fishers, along with journalists, yesterday set sail for a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, while China Coast Guard vessels began shadowing the flotilla.The Philippine Coast Guard deployed three patrol ships and a light plane to keep watch from a distance.The flot
Singapore yesterday swore in Lawrence Wong (黃循財) as the city-state’s new prime minister in a ceremony broadcast live on television after Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) stepped down following two decades in office.Wong, formerly deputy prime minister, was inaugurated at the Istana government office shortly af
BASIC OPERATIONS: About half a dozen navy ships from both countries took part in the days-long exercise based on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea
An unpublicized joint military exercise between Taiwan and the US in the Pacific Ocean last month was carried out in accordance with an international code, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.According to a Reuters report citing four unnamed sources, the two nations’ navies last mo
Uber Technologies Inc is buying Delivery Hero SE’s Foodpanda business in Taiwan for US$950 million, shoring up its control of a key Asian market as it seeks to expand in the region.Uber, whose meal delivery business outperformed globally during the first quarter, aims to complete the all-cash deal b
The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday released draft amendments that would legalize surrogacy, along with assisted reproduction for single women and lesbian couples.The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said that it has set a July 13 deadline for public feedback to the proposed amendments
PROTEST: A Chinese commission condemned the UK for the ‘cooked-up charges’ and accused it of ‘vicious’ interference in Hong Kong’s affairs
The British government yesterday said it had summoned Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang (鄭澤光), a day after three people were charged in the latest Beijing-linked alleged espionage case. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was “unequivocal in setting out that the recent pat
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said that US military aid on its way to Ukraine would make a “real difference” on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.In increasingly intense attacks along the northeas
‘MONEY PIT’: The KMT’s more than NT$2 trillion infrastructure project proposals for eastern Taiwan lack professional input and financial transparency, the DPP said
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday said it would ask the Executive Yuan to raise a motion to oppose the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus’ infrastructure proposals and prepare to file for a constitutional interpretation if the KMT-dominated legislature forces their passage.
The International Industrial Talents Education Special (INTENSE) Program to attract foreigners to study and work in Taiwan will provide scholarships and a living allowance of up to NT$440,000 per person for two years beginning in August, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) told a meeting of th
Government measures to control air pollution have effectively lowered the density of main pollutants, with more than 90 percent of air quality observation stations reporting a gradual decline in the density of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter), PM10, nitroge
NO CONTEST: Gitanas Nauseda, who got 46% of the vote in the first round, said he is confident of winning and does not need a campaign strategy
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte are to face off in the second round of the Baltic state’s presidential vote on May 26 after the incumbent failed to win an overall majority in the first round on Sunday.With almost all the ballots counted in the Baltic state th
China is targeting citizens studying abroad for their political activism, rights group Amnesty International said yesterday, with some students reporting harassment of family members back home.China does not tolerate political dissent and has used sophisticated tech tools and intimidation to crack d
SELF-SUFFICIENCY: The project would only be the beginning, as Taiwan needs at least 120 satellites to ensure uninterrupted communication, Wu Tsung-tsong said
The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) yesterday said it plans to launch six low Earth orbit satellites starting in 2026 as part of the government’s plan to boost the resilience of the nation’s communications.The development of the technology gained attention after Ukrainians were able to access the Interne
China is continuing to use “gray zone” tactics to cause social division in Taiwan and alter the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) found. The council said the academic report it commissioned to analyze the state of Taiwan-China-US relations
Taiwan claimed the No. 1 spot among exhibiting nations and took home the most awards at the 38th World Genius Convention and Education Expo in Tokyo.Of the 63 entries Taiwan submitted, 29 won gold medals, 23 won silver medals and six were given special awards.This year’s expo, held on Thursday and F
TWO TOP CONTENDERS: Prime Minister Simonyte’s ruling conservatives and President Nauseda have clashed over relations with Beijing, which have been strained over Taiwan
Lithuania voted yesterday in a presidential election dominated by security concerns with the main candidates all agreeing that the NATO and EU member should boost defense spending to counter the perceived threat from neighboring Russia. The Baltic state of 2.8 million people fears it could be next i