The Singaporean Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has decided to lift safety measures on certain Taiwanese products and return to normalized trade, the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore announced yesterday, a move that is seen as disproving rumors that relations between the nation’s envoy and the city-state are strained.
After the plasticizer food scare in May last year, Singapore enacted measures compelling five major foodstuff imports from Taiwan, namely sports drinks, juice products, tea products, jams and syrup products, and foodstuffs in the form of capsules, pills or powders to be labeled with the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ (MOEA) Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection’s special proof of examination.
The plasticizer scare refers to the use of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, and other -plasticizers, -chemical substances used to increase pliability in plastic materials and which have been found to be endocrine disruptors, in food additives such as clouding agents.
The office said that after assuring the AVA that the plasticizer issue has been taken care of in Taiwan and urging it to consider lifting the extra safety measures on Taiwanese imports, the authority had agreed to a general lift of the measures starting on March 1.
The office further said that the ban would help Taiwanese food industries receive more contracts at a three-day foodstuffs exhibition starting on April 17, to which the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and foodstuff unions have invited 72 firms.
Meanwhile, the lifting of the measures is being seen as disproving rumors that there were “issues” during the tenure of soon-to-be--recalled Representative to Singapore Vanessa Shih (史亞平).
Shih’s recall has been the focus of media speculation lately, with the Chinese-language China Times publishing an article speculating that Shih, to facilitate a free-trade agreement with Singapore and resolve agriculture-related negotiations, had asked to see former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kwan Yew (李光耀).
The piece also speculated that Shih angered the Singaporean government, who called for a change of representatives, by insisting on meeting with Lee despite Lee’s saying that meeting face-to-face would not bring about any guarantees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday declined to comment on the media speculation.
Shih is being reassigned, but it has not yet been decided when she will return to Taiwan, the ministry said, adding that it would announce her successor once the ministry has finished the list of candidates.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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