Two new groups were formed yesterday to promote parliamentary ties between Taiwan and the UK and France.
The "Taiwan-Britain Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association" (
"Through these associations, we hope to enhance mutual understanding as well as strengthen our bilateral parliamentary interactions with parliamentarians in UK and France," Chang said yesterday at the inauguration of the two associations.
PHOTO: LIU HSING-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES
Chang said that parliamentary diplomatic work carry out by the two groups could also help to broaden Taiwan's diplomatic circle.
"Because we [legislators] can visit countries, places and meet with certain persons in other countries that normally our national leaders are restricted from owing to Taiwan's unique situa-tion," Chang said.
The lawmaker said approximately 30 legislators from across party lines have said they would become members.
KMT Legislator Tsai Chia-fu (蔡家福) is deputy chairman for the "Taiwan-Britain Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association" while the TSU's John Wang (王政中) and PFP's Lin Teh-fu (林德福) are deputy chairmen of the "Taiwan-France Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association."
Chang, convener of the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chi-nese Committee, said that the groups would focus on activities that serve the purpose in promoting mutual interaction between legislators in Taiwan and the two European countries.
"For example," Chang said, "we will work to coordinate Taiwanese business or cultural groups going to the UK and France for visits as well as invite influential British and French figures and parliamentarians to Taiwan to take part in seminars, public hearings to help improve general understanding and interaction."
Chang said association mem-bers are planning to travel to the UK and France during the next legislature recess in January.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS