US resident Kuo Shu-jen (
The country's official name is the Republic of China. But pro-independence advocates say the island is not a part of China and some have issued "Republic of Taiwan" passports to their supporters.
"Mr Kuo will be talking on the phone at a press conference this morning from his base in Los Angles," said Wang Cheng-chung (王正中), organizer of the press briefing.
The conference will be held simultaneously in Taipei and Los Angles, with Kuo and other Tai-wanese in the US explaining details of their trip, Wang said.
According to a press release, Kuo entered Brazil on July 26th for an overseas Taiwanese rally. He used a visa that he applied for using his "Republic of Taiwan" passport.
One of his Taiwanese counterparts, however, was "heckled" by Brazilian officials when entering the country because he held an ROC passport, according to the release.
Consular officials in other countries often confuse the ROC with the PRC.
Katharine Chang (
"Holding such fantasy travel documents will not enable one to travel effectively. So I urge citizens to hold the ROC passport so that one can apply for a visa effectively," Chang said.
Chang said negligence on the part of Brazilian officials caused the confusion in Kuo's case.
The ministry has already requested Taiwan's representative office in Brazil to notify the Brazilian government of the case, Chang added.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘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
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he