Protest from China has made it impossible for Taiwan to participate as a country in an upcoming biennial architecture exhibition in Venice, organizers said yesterday.
Instead Taiwan will attend the competition under the name "Taiwan Museum of Art."
"Our original title in the catalogue is Taiwan under the big banner of national pavilions. Now we are only able to attend under the title of the museum although the big banner we are under remains unchanged," said Ni Tsai-chin (
Ni, who is organizing a delegation to attend the La Biennale di Venezia 7. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura, said the delegation could finally attend the exhibition, although not under a title it had originally wished for.
On May 18, the exhibition organizer notified the museum that a Taiwan delegation had to change its name to "China, Taiwan" to ensure its participation as a part of the national pavilions. But the Taiwan delegation turned down the suggestion.
After consulting the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA), the delegation decided to ensure its participation by suggesting a name change to "Taiwan Museum of Art," Ni said.
But the exhibition organizer refused Ni's alternative. It was not until yesterday that the exhibition's organizing group agreed to the use of the new name, Ni said.
The change of tone on the part of the exhibition's organizers, Ni said, was due to Taiwan's "positive" lobbying through diplomatic channels and toward Italian parliament members.
Alberto Galluccio, of the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion office in Taipei, who had been helping Taiwan reach a solution on the name change, said time constraints led to what he described as an unsatisfactory solution. The exhibition is scheduled scheduled to open June 17.
"I don't think this is the best solution because we could have found a better one. But the problem was time," Galluccio said.
"I hope that if a similar problem arises in the future, we will be able to find an imaginative solution, which may be satisfactory for Taiwan and at the same time won't put Taiwan in an embarrassing situation," Galluccio added.
Independent legislator Chu Hui-liang (
"Maybe it is Taiwan's recent transfer of power [to the DPP] that forces China to behave in a hypersensitive manner and harbor suspicions about Taiwan's participation in the exhibition," Chu added.
Meanwhile, the chief curator in charge of the delegation said final confirmation of the name change would depend on a written document from exhibition organizers.
"The organizers confirmed over the phone that the Taiwan delegation would be able to attend under the title of the museum. But the delegation is still waiting for the written confirmation from the organizer," said Beatrice Peini Gysen-Hsieh (
Beijing often restricts Taiwan's representation in international events under the name Taiwan, claiming the name suggests sovereignty, which China objects to.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist