Reacting to the rise in frequency of natural disasters affecting East Asian countries, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have proposed setting up a coordination platform for disaster relief in Taiwan, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
The Taiwan Alliance in International Development (Taiwan AID), an alliance of dozens of local NGOs, is to table the proposal at the upcoming Asia NGOs International Development Conference to be held on Sept. 14 in Taipei, the ministry’s NGO Affairs Committee Deputy Chairman Wu Rong-chuan (吳榮泉) said.
Wu said the proposal had been well-received by various NGOs in other Asian countries since it was first broached in 2008, but the origin of funds needed for its operation remains to be resolved.
Despite a difficult funding environment, Taiwan AID has not relinquished the plan, as it wishes to make a difference with its skills and experience to contribute to Asian security facing the threats caused by global warming, Wu said.
Separately, at a routine press conference, Wu said that Cijin beach in Cijin District (旗津), Greater Kaohsiung, has been selected by Pacific Rim Parks (PRP), an NGO in the US, as a site to join a project aiming to foster understanding and goodwill in the marine environments of the region through the creation of ocean parks.
James Hubbell, a co-founder of the San Diego-based organization, and its president Kyle Bergman are in Taiwan discussing the plan with the Greater Kaohsiung Government and performing an onsite review and inspection of the site, Wu said.
If the design of the park is finalized by the end of this year, the park in Cijin is expected to be completed within six months, Wu said.
“It could enhance exchanges and cooperation in marine culture and ecosystem conservation between Taiwan and other countries under the project,” Wu said.
In related news, the Garden of Hope Foundation and Good Shepherd Social Welfare Service are to co-host an international conference of women’s shelters from Sept. 3 through Sept. 5 to bring together 22 leaders in women’s affairs organizations from 13 countries in Asia, Wu said.
The event forms part of efforts of local women organizations to become the focal point of the Global Network of Women’s Shelters.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
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