CROSS-STRAIT
No joint centenary: Sheng
Taiwan yesterday ruled out joining China in celebrating the upcoming centenary of the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC), an event hailed as an historical milestone by both Taipei and Beijing. “Given the differences between the two sides, it would be unlikely for us to host joint celebrations,” Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) said in English to a group of foreign reporters in Taipei. Taiwan is gearing up for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the ROC, which was on Jan. 1, 1912, after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Sheng said the differences in political systems in China and Taiwan would make joint celebrations impossible.
DIPLOMACY
Global inclusion sought
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday solicited the support of allies in Taiwan’s bids for participation in UN activities. Taiwan hopes to take part in events hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and in meetings on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ma said. He addressed Taiwan’s bids for access to the two world bodies during a meeting at the Presidential Office with visiting UN representatives of Palau, Tuvalu, Belize and El Salvador. Those nations are among the 23 countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Speaking of the ICAO bid, Ma said Taiwan has among the busiest air traffic in East Asia and should have closer contacts with the civil aviation regulatory body, as such links would facilitate the development of the industry and its efforts to promote air safety. In terms of the UNFCCC, Ma said that in the face of extreme weather trends that have made Taiwan more vulnerable to natural disasters, the country would very much like to have UNFCCC links.
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
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
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