The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday it did not know when a US working group that is to inspect the nation’s passport issuing procedures and travel safety regulations would visit Taiwan.
The working group is expected to visit as the US considers granting Taiwanese visa-free entry.
Department of North American Affairs Director-General Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) said that Taiwan’s visa-refusal rate was 4.4 percent, slightly higher than the threshold of 3 percent set by US law. However, a visit by a US working group would be a “positive sign” on the matter of visa-free entry, he said.
The long-awaited Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks are scheduled to take place early next year and will cover a wide array of issues, including agricultural exports, avoiding dual taxation and a bilateral investment agreement, Tseng said.
He said a group of US trade representatives was in Taiwan last week to pave the way for the talks, but declined to divulge the names and the ranks of the representatives.
ARMS SALES
Meanwhile, Tseng declined to comment on the US’ planned arms sales to Taiwan, except to say that many major Washington players, such as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Jeff Bader, the senior director of Asian Affairs for the National Security Council, have reiterated the US’ commitment to Taiwan’s security, which includes the sales of defensive weapons.
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