Australia’s representative office in Taiwan declined to comment on Friday following a newspaper report claiming that Canberra was blocking ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
Greg Sheridan, a columnist at the Australian, wrote in Thursday’s piece, “China sends a message, and we tremble and obey,” adding that there had been a policy change in the government of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd blocking ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
The Australian Commerce and Industry Office, the country’s official representative office in Taiwan, declined to comment.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade rejected the allegation.
“Consistent with the one-China policy, Australia has for many years sent ministers to Taiwan to support Australian trade. In truth, these visits also recognize the political achievements of Taiwan,” Sheridan wrote.
“This will be the first time at least since the [Bob] Hawke government [1983-1991] that a whole parliamentary cycle has gone by without such a visit,” he said.
Sheridan also wrote: “A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told him the Rudd government had not made a formal undertaking to Beijing that no ministers will visit Taiwan during the first term of the Rudd government, but the spokesperson confirmed that there is no plan for a ministerial visit to Taiwan.”
Kyodo reported that Sheridan is a long-time critic of China’s communist government and has launched angry attacks on Australia’s two major political parties over their China policy.
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