From newly-painted lines on roads to practice runs for motorcades, the Marshall Islands is sprucing up ahead of the first-ever official visit by a president -- even though he is a leader most of the world does not recognize.
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian (
Although at least one South American president flew through Majuro on a refueling stop en route to Asia in recent years, when Chen sets foot in Majuro he will become the first president to make an official visit to this central Pacific nation of 60,000.
Taiwan's ambassador to the Marshall Islands, Lien-gene Chen (
The lead-up to the visit has been marked by allegations of payoffs to government officials by people linked to China in an attempt to get diplomatic recognition switched back to China. The government has officially denied the payoffs, claimed to be between US$6,000 and US$10,000 offered to each official.
The Marshall Islands switched its recognition to Taiwan in 1998 and now receives US$10 million annually in aid and other help from Taipei. The Marshall Islands is one of five small and poor Pacific states to recognize Taiwan.
Chen's visit coincides with the 26th anniversary of Constitution Day, the local celebration of independence.
The Ministry of Public Works and many local businesses have been working feverishly over the past two weeks to clean up the capital for Chen's visit. The government on Friday also gave most government workers the day off from normal office duties to ensure the island is spotless.
Trash is being picked up and grass cut in parts of the island usually ignored by clean up crews.
Roads that have not been spruced up since they were repaved in 1999 have seen crews out painting lines morning and night this week.
On Thursday, police and security officials tied up traffic on the single main road for hours by practising motorcade arrivals and departures from the hotel where Chen will stay.
Chen's entourage of 170 is using up every available hotel room on the island. Current occupants of the Marshall Islands Resort, the hotel where Chen will stay for two nights, are being moved out yesterday morning to make room for the Taiwanese group.
Marshall Islands President Kessai Note will host a state dinner tonight. Tomorrow, the official holiday marking Constitution Day, Chen will speak to the Nitijela (parliament), briefly attend Constitution Day ceremonies at the capital, and then open a Taiwan trade fair in the early afternoon.
He and Note will launch the President's Race for the Outrigger Canoe National Cup, and the two will take a short lagoon ride on a traditional outrigger sailing canoe.
Chen leaves for Kiribati on Tuesday morning.
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