A group of lawmakers will leave for England and France today in a bid to seek support for the nation's attempt to join the WHO.
"We'll endeavor to seek their support for our bid," said DPP Legislator Parris Chang (
Efforts to gain membership of WHO began in 1997, with the focus in recent years on obtaining observer status at the WHO's top decision-making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA).
The bid was given a boost last year when both the US and Japan voiced their support for WHA observership, although European countries including France and Spain voiced reservations.
KMT Legislator Chiang Yi-wen (
Lawmakers also said the British are paying special attention to the delegation's visit in view of a recent resolution in the Legislative Yuan calling for a one-year ban on sales of alcoholic beverages by British Diageo PLC.
The legislature passed the non-binding resolution last month after the British company launched a Smirnoff ad campaign in London that lawmakers say damaged Taiwan's image.
Diageo has formally apologized for the controversial campaign and has placed new ads in London which focus on a positive image of Taiwan.
"We'll see how to best handle the case," Chang said.
KMT Legislator Sun Kauo-hwa (孫國華) said the London trip has gained "special" significance now that both members of the House of Commons and the Foreign and the Commonwealth Office (FCO) have agreed to meet with the delegation.
Donald Anderson, chairman of the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Martin O'Neill, chairman of its Trade and Industry Select Committee will meet with the delegation, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sir Nicholas Winterton, co-chair of the British Taiwan parliamentary group, will also receive the delegation, the ministry said, while some FCO officials are also scheduled to meet with the delegation informally.
However, the delegation will not visit the French parliament because it is in recess, lawmakers said.
The delegation also includes DPP Legislator Hilo Bi-him (
The delegation will visit think tanks in England and Paris, including the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, lawmakers said.
Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill is slated to arrive in Taipei on Feb. 18 for a four-day visit.
The foriegn ministry said that during his stay O'Neill will meet with Legislative Yuan Vice Speaker Chiang Ping-kun (
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS