Guatemala's business association on Friday said it supported the country's ties with Taipei and hoped the plans of a Taiwanese company to help build an oil refinery in Guatemala would come to fruition.
Carlos Zuniga, president of the Guatemalan business association, said he believed relations with Taiwan would not stop Guatemala from making some inroads into the Chinese market, which he acknowledged was "much larger in terms of population."
Zuniga said he believed Costa Rica's decision last month to break its relations of more than 60 years with Taiwan in favor of China was a "mistake," adding that Taiwan had remained a "friend" of Guatemala's even through the most difficult times.
Vice President Annette Lu (
She said that the company would soon be sending its own delegation to Guatemala to evaluate the feasibility of such a project.
Zuniga said he hoped the company would follow through on the idea, though the company has not officially said it will invest in the project.
"I don't know anything about it, so I cannot comment," a spokesman said on Friday.
Lu returned home early yesterday from a three-nation Latin American tour.
Lu's trip took her to the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Guatemala, with transit stops in Panama and the US cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Lu told reporters upon her arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport that she had received the highest level of courtesy from the nation's diplomatic allies and a warm welcome from their people and journalists, and from Taiwanese expatriates.
Lu said that the visit provided her with the opportunity to have in-depth discussions with the leaders of the countries, an experience she called meaningful.
Lu said she was given reassurances from Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte Frutos, Guatemalan President Oscar Berger Perdomo and Panamanian Vice President Samuel Lewis Navarro that their countries' relations with Taipei were stable.
The leaders also promised to offer their support for Taiwan in the international arena whenever necessary, she said.
Lu said that while in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay, she toured industrial parks established with aid from Taiwan, and discussed with Guatemalan leaders a cooperation project to set up an international trade zone there.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
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