President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was to meet with Paraguayan president-elect Fernando Lugo yesterday in Asuncion amid unease over his previous claim that his country would switch ties to China if it does not receive US$71 million in foreign aid from Taiwan.
Lugo, who was elected president in April, ending 61 years of Colorado Party rule, will be sworn in as president today, with Ma being the first head of states to arrive for his inauguration.
During his campaign, Lugo raised the issue of switching diplomatic allegiance from Taipei to Beijing should he win, and two days after the election he said that he could not turn a deaf ear to the increasingly strong call from both the Paraguayan parliament and society for establishing ties with China.
But the incoming president appeared to backtrack on the matter when he told local media on Wednesday that Paraguay would maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan after he assumes office. He said that cooperation projects between the two countries would extend to the agriculture sector.
The Central News Agency (CNA) reported that Taiwan’s Representative to Paraguay, Hu Cheng-yao (胡正堯), said that Lugo told him his interests in advancing the country’s relationship with China didn’t necessarily mean that Paraguay would sever ties with Taiwan.
Hu said in the report that during the meeting with Ma, Lugo reiterated his determination to uphold his country’s longstanding cordial ties with Taiwan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) said he “didn’t understand the causes of the change” when he was asked why the good news came ahead of Ma’s arrival.
When asked whether the government is in the process of assessing Lugo’s aid request, Ou told reporters, “The figure was what he hoped for, but we wanted him to come up with concrete projects [where the money will be used].”
After assuming office, Ma called for a “diplomatic truce” between Taiwan and China in an attempt to end checkbook diplomacy conducted by both sides of the Strait, raising concern that the Ma administration would suspend aid programs agreed-upon by the previous government.
Ou said that his government would stick with existing aid projects, but would place more importance on technology or experience transfer than donations and would also make sure that the money given to the nation’s allies is spent in a transparent way.
As some of the nation’s allies are relatively poor, the aid from Taiwan can help these countries a lot, Ou said.
Ou said presidential candidates from the nation’s allies often hint at establishing ties with China because they think it will earn them votes, but once in power, they know that having ties with Taiwan is beneficial to their countries.
He said that Ma would not promise new aid programs during his trip but would study any requests he receives.
Meanwhile, Ou said that aid was not brought up during Ma’s talks with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos in Panama earlier yesterday.
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
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS