President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) trip to Pope John Paul II's funeral is an unprecedented opportunity for Taiwan's president to stand alongside other state leaders on the world stage at an international event, political analysts said.
"Chen's visit to the Vatican is a great diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan," said Ruan Ming (阮銘), an adviser at the Taiwan Research Institute's strategic and international studies department.
"Despite China's incessant hostility [and attempts] to squeeze Taiwan's breathing space in the international community, a president from Taiwan is able to, for the first time, set foot on European soil," Ruan said.
Not only Chen was the first sitting president from Taiwan to make a trip to Europe, his attendance at the pope's funeral today marks the first time that a president from Taiwan has been able to visit the Holy See since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1942 between the two countries, political commentators said.
Noting the approximately 200 state and religious leaders, including US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are expected to take part in the papal ceremony to pay their final tribute to the late Pope, Ruan said, "Chen's attendance at the papal ceremony not only allows Chen a rare chance to meet with heads of state, it also provides an opportunity to enhance Taiwan's visibility on the world stage. Against the backdrop of China's enactment of the `Anti-Secession' Law, Chen's visit could help bring Taiwan's plight to light in the international community," he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (蘇起) hailed the trip as well, saying it will be one of Chen's most important overseas trips as president.
Thomas Hung (洪茂雄), a graduate research fellow in international relations at National Chengchi University said the visit suggested that Chen had a keen diplomatic sense, in that he was able to seize the opportunity to make the trip a reality. Hung noted that during the Cold War era, "funeral diplomacy" was a common practice among western countries.
"The funerals of heads of state offer a rare opportunity for world leaders to come together and meet one another as they pay last respects at the passing of a leader," Hung said. "One classic example of `funeral diplomacy,' Hung said, was the funeral of German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, which brought together US President Lyndon B. Johnson and his French counterpart Charles de Gaulle a venue to converse despite a grudge between them.
"China's failure to send a representative to Pope John Paul II's funeral [to protest Chen's presence] is a diplomatic slap in its own face," Hung said. "This would not go unnoticed by members of the international community," Hung said, adding that "China's conduct at time like this when the whole international community is paying tribute to the Pope ... exposes its evil nature to the world."
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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