A group of representatives from diplomatic allies in the Pacific is visiting Taiwan to learn more about the nation’s development, as part of the country’s cultural diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Twenty-eight people from Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu are taking part in a “Taiwan Study Camp,” in which they will attend seminars on Taiwan-China ties, democracy, economy, healthcare and a variety of other topics, the ministry said.
Participants in the 10-day camp that began on Monday will also meet Taiwanese who have taken part in “youth ambassador” programs overseas, said James Tien (田中光), director-general of the ministry’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Photo: CNA
Among the participants, all of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time, is Jacob -Yangilmau, governor of Sonsorol State in Palau.
The seminars are helping him learn about the development of Taiwan’s democracy and economy, Yangilmau said, adding that they are useful experiences for his position as a state governor.
Asked about what has impressed him the most about Taiwan, Yangilmau cited Taiwan’s transport infrastructure and the hospitality of the people.
“Since the camp kicked off on Monday, we’ve gained a better sense of Taiwan’s economic and cultural achievements,” said Denise de Brum, a participant from the Marshall Islands.
Other participants in the camp include government officials at the middle and entry levels, members of the media and business representatives.
They are scheduled to visit a vegetable center, the Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute, Konta Integrated Network Engineering Co, the National Center for Traditional Arts and the World Vision Taiwan charity group, the ministry said.
Initiated in 2010, the camp aims to strengthen ties of friendship between Taiwan and its Pacific allies and to increase understanding of Taiwan, according to the ministry.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
Taiwan is awaiting official notification from the US regarding the status of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) after the US Supreme Court ruled US President Donald Trump's global tariffs unconstitutional. Speaking to reporters before a legislative hearing today, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that Taiwan's negotiation team remains focused on ensuring that the bilateral trade deal remains intact despite the legal challenge to Trump's tariff policy. "The US has pledged to notify its trade partners once the subsequent administrative and legal processes are finalized, and that certainly includes Taiwan," Cho said when asked about opposition parties’ doubts that the ART was
If China chose to invade Taiwan tomorrow, it would only have to sever three undersea fiber-optic cable clusters to cause a data blackout, Jason Hsu (許毓仁), a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator, told a US security panel yesterday. In a Taiwan contingency, cable disruption would be one of the earliest preinvasion actions and the signal that escalation had begun, he said, adding that Taiwan’s current cable repair capabilities are insufficient. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) yesterday held a hearing on US-China Competition Under the Sea, with Hsu speaking on
RSS