Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday that the administration would do its best to uphold reporters’ rights, including during President’s Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) transit stops in the US next month.
Wang’s remarks came in the wake of criticism of the Presidential Office’s request on Thursday asking the media not to file reports during Ma’s transit stops in the US, saying it was a “precedent” set during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
Ma is scheduled to make his first state visit from Aug. 12 to Aug. 19 to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Fernando Lugo on Aug. 15 and Dominican Republic president-elect Leonel Fernandez on Aug. 16. Ma will spend the night of Aug. 13 in Los Angeles before heading to Paraguay, and will transit through San Francisco on his return.
A Presidential Office official said yesterday that the request was a result of misunderstanding.
Earlier yesterday, Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), director of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Department of Culture and Communications, said that the Presidential Office had misinterpreted the “precedent” the DPP administration had set.
“They [the US government] always request that no public appearances be scheduled for the president during his stay in the US. That does not mean reporters cannot write and file their stories,” Cheng said.
“The Ma administration’s lack of experience in handling the president’s overseas visits is demonstrated by its misinterpretation of ‘no public activities’ as ‘no news coverage,’” he said.
As freedom of speech was one of the most important indicators of Taiwan’s democracy, the Ma administration has made itself a laughing stock by restricting journalists, Cheng said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
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