A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker yesterday urged the government to demand an apology from Costa Rica -- one of Taiwan's allies -- for opposing the nation's bid for WHO membership.
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making arm of the WHO, on Monday adopted a motion -- following a vote of 148 to 17, with two abstentions -- to strike the issue of Taiwan's membership off the agenda.
Of Taiwan's 24 diplomatic allies, Costa Rica was the only one to vote in favor of the motion, while the six others were either absent from the session, abstained or had no voting rights.
Raising the issue during a meeting of the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Compatriot Affairs Committee, KMT Legislator Lee Chi-chu (
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it found Costa Rica's unfavorable vote against Taiwan regrettable.
Chen Hsin-tung (陳新東), deputy director-general of the ministry's Department of Central and South American affairs, said Vice Foreign Minister Hou Ching-shan (侯清山) had instructed Taiwanese Ambassador to Costa Rica Wu Ming-kuang (吳明廣) to voice Taiwan's concern.
"Miscommunication was the main reason [behind Costa Rica's vote]," Chen told reporters during a weekly briefing yesterday, saying that Costa Rica's ambassador to Geneva had just left Switzerland and his successor has not yet arrived to take over the post.
Carlos Garbanzo Blanco, Costa Rica's representative at the WHA meeting, did not understand the situation and hence cast a vote in opposition to Taiwan, Chen said.
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