■ Diplomacy
Clinton to visit on Sunday
Former US president Bill Clinton will meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) during a whirlwind visit to Taipei on Sunday that could annoy China. Clinton will arrive in Taipei at the invitation of the government and deliver a speech on democracy and security, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶隆). Lu said a dinner meeting between Clinton and Chen was being arranged for Sunday. Clinton visited China this week where he praised Beijing's efforts to combat AIDS and pledged his foundation would donate drugs and offer training to doctors. As president, Clinton sent two aircraft carrier groups to waters near Taiwan in 1996 to cool tensions after Beijing test-fired missiles in an attempt to sway voters in Taiwan's first direct presidential election that year.
■ Diplomacy
Lu to visit Latin America
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) announced Wednesday that she will be heading a business delegation to visit El Salvador and Guatemala next month in a bid to cement Taiwan's relations with the two Latin American countries. Among the issues to be discussed will be proposals to build a "Taiwan Park" industrial zone in El Salvador, and to establish a vocational training center called the Taiwan Institute for Development. The visit comes amid speculation that China is making investment overtures to some or all of Taiwan's 25 diplomatic allies in the region, urging them to recognize Beijing rather than Taipei. Guatemalan Economics Minister Marcio Cuevas plans to visit China in April, prompting Taipei to worry that Taiwan-Guatemala ties are shaky. Lu's visit will begin March 12.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
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