Lin Yi-fu (
Lin, the new head of the Permanent Mission of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu to the WTO, told Supachai that his first mission in Geneva is to join in the WTO's efforts to conclude the Doha round of trade negotiations so that the Doha commitments can be set as goals at the next WTO ministerial meeting.
That meeting is expected to be held in Hong Kong at the end of this year.
Lin, a seasoned official in foreign trade affairs, has been acquainted with Supachai since Taiwan became a formal WTO member in early 2002.
Lin and Supachai, the then trade ministers from Taiwan and Thailand, led their teams to conclude bilateral trade talks between the two countries not long afterwards.
The two have also met several times at WTO meetings since then.
Lin, who headed Taiwan's delegation to the 2003 WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, assured Supachai that he will try his utmost to help facilitate progress in the Doha round of negotiations since the talks have entered a "crucial" juncture.
Supachai told Lin that it was vitally important for WTO members to reach some form of consensus before July on the Doha round of negotiations.
Supachai also said it was a pleasant experience working with Lin's predecessor, Yen Ching-chang (
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS