Promotion of eco-diplomacy will be high on the agenda of the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Affairs Committee this year, an official said yesterday.
Speaking at a committee news briefing, deputy head Jack Chiang (
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-backed (MOFA) mission was comprised of experienced birders, British and Canadian bird experts and a nature photographer. It was formed following a trip by foreign ambassadors to Taiwan to the Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area last year.
The mission helped Saint Lucia to establish its own eco-tourism routes, birding Web sites and to document its bird species for the future publication of a birding guide, Chiang said.
On the committee's work assisting MOFA in the promotion of the international activities of NGOs based in Taiwan, Chiang said a Chinese-English Web site had been set up to help local NGOs apply for subsidies and also to forge links with overseas NGOs.
He said online applications for subsidies would be easier and quicker, and that the NGOs could also inquire as to the progress of their applications online.
Chiang said a section of the Web site, and its "online radio station" was dedicated to the UN's Millennium Development Goals. He said it would feature a monthly "hot topic" that was receiving attention in the international community and include an interview with a Taiwanese NGO, in the hope of increasing communication and collaboration among local NGOs and expanding their international links and activities.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
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