Singaporean Deputy Prime Min-ister Lee Hsien Loong's (
Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Lee was making a "private and unofficial visit to Taiwan to meet with friends he last saw in 1992." However, the government's reception of Lee was on a level with that given to any heads of state who have visited the country, observers said.
Lee, who has been appointed by Singapore's ruling People's Action Party to succeed Goh Chok Tong (吳作棟) as prime minister next month, was greeted by Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) when he arrived at CKS International Airport, where hundreds of police were deployed to protect Lee.
Singapore maintains good ties with China. Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (吳儀) had invited Lee to visit China from May 12 to 17. After Lee's arrival here, China's Foreign Ministry quickly unleashed a characteristic volley of rhetoric, expressing "strong dissatisfaction" with his trip.
"The Singaporean side should take full responsibility for what results from this event," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue (
One of the reasons Lee risked China's displeasure to visit Taiwan, said Lin Wen-cheng (林文程), a former senior advisor to the National Security Council, is to boost Singapore's military co-operation with Taiwan.
In the military co-operation program known as Operation Hsing Kuang (Starlight), Taiwan provides training venues for Singaporean artillery, armored vehicles and infantry units.
Singapore has operated several training camps in Taiwan under the Starlight program. In 2001, China offered to provide Singapore with facilities on Hainan Island as part of its efforts to sabotage Singapore's longstanding military links with Taiwan.
The London-based Jane's Defence Weekly said at that time that Singapore was reluctant to accept the offer for fear of changing its existing arrangement with Tai-wan, adding that Singapore's "conservative leadership would be disinclined to widely expose their regular troops to Mainland China influences."
Lin said that Singapore chose to officially side with China rather than Taiwan for the sake of its national interest. But Singapore, as a nation opposed to communism, "remains very vigilant to China's influence," he added.
The city-state plays a special role in cross-strait relations, Lin said. In 1993, Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Koo Chen-fu (
Lee is the son of Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew (
"Lee Kuan Yew's friendship with Lee Teng-hui made it impossible for him to keep playing the role of cross-strait mediator," Lin said.
Considering Lee Kuan Yew's history of passing messages between Taiwan and China, speculation has been rife since Lee Hsien Loong arrived on Saturday about whether he was also carrying messages from Beijing.
Lai I-chung (
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost