Dozens of DPP lawmakers yesterday formed a group that vows to make the signing of a free-trade agreement with Japan its top task, nearly 20 years after the country severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The group, called the Taiwan-Japan Political Elite Association, will serve as a venue of communication between legislators from the two countries despite the absence of official ties, Tang Bi-a (唐碧娥) said at the opening ceremony.
"The inauguration of the group is significant, as Sept. 29 will mark the 20th anniversary of the cutting of diplomatic relations between the two sides," said Tang, who organized the association.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Formed by 25 DPP lawmakers, most of whom were born in the 1960s, the group hopes to improve exchanges culminating in the signing of a free-trade agreement in the near future.
Tang said that while private exchanges between Taiwan and Japan have not ceased, pressure from China has made progress in official contact very slow.
Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), a group member and director of the DPP's Department of International Affairs, said that being young and vigorous, the new association will stand apart from other existing groups with a similar agenda.
To that end, the US-educated lawmaker is learning Japanese in the hope of strengthening communication with her Japanese counterparts.
Tsai Huang-liang (
Fellow colleague Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who in May traveled to Geneva to advocate Taiwan's entry to the WHO, said it is in Taiwan's interest to improve ties with Japan. He noted that despite protest from China, Japan openly voiced support for the country's WHO bid.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS