DIPLOMACY
Thailand crisis monitored
The government yesterday said it is closely monitoring the situation in Thailand after the Thai military declared martial law in a bid to quell months of protests and tensions between the Thai government and opposition. “We are keeping close tabs on the situation in Thailand,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) said. The ministry and Taiwan’s representative office in Thailand are prepared to take “response measures,” she added. “The representative office immediately launched an emergency response mechanism shortly after the announcement [of martial law] was made,” she said. She said that no Taiwanese have thus far been affected, but urged anyone visiting or residing in Thailand to be alert.
TRAVEL
Visa privileges expanded
Republic of China passport holders can enjoy visa-free entry or landing visas in 140 countries and territories after five more places extended such privileges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The African countries of Togo, Cape Verde and the Union of the Comoros, as well as Papua New Guinea in Oceania have granted landing visas to Taiwanese, the ministry said. The British territory of Anguilla in the Caribbean has also begun allowing Taiwanese to stay for up to six months visa-free, the ministry said. The four countries and one territory are the latest on a now long list of visa-free or landing visa destinations for Taiwanese, including the US, Canada, the Schengen Area of Europe and Japan.
HEALTH
Chiu meets US counterpart
Minister of Health Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) on Monday met with US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, where the two talked about health issues in Taiwan. Chiu said after their 20-minute private meeting that he and his US counterpart had touched on Taiwan’s efforts to combat the recent resurgence of rabies and H7N9 avian flu. He also conveyed his appreciation for Sebelius’ long-term support for the nation’s participation in the WHA. Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑緹), director-general of the Health Promotion Administration and a member of the Taiwanese delegation, said she briefed Sebelius on campaigns to address obesity during the meeting. This is the sixth consecutive year in which Taiwan has received an invitation to attend the annual meeting of the top decisionmaking body of the WHO. The WHA began meeting on Monday and is set to run until Saturday in the Swiss city.
DIPLOMACY
New UK envoy appointed
Representative to Canada Liu Chih-kung (劉志攻) has been reassigned as top envoy to the UK, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Office. Liu, a career diplomat, is to replace Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡), who has been appointed representative to the US. It is not known when Liu will take up his new post. He has been serving as the representative to Canada since 2012 and previously worked as deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council and as the representative to the Czech Republic, among other posts. Liu has also served in diplomatic positions in the US, South Africa and Mongolia. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) declined to confirm Chinese-language media reports that Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, will succeed Liu in Ottawa.
DIPLOMACY
Turkey condolences offered
The nation has expressed its condolences to Turkey over the mine explosion in the western Turkish province of Manisa that killed hundreds of miners last week, in what Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan said was one of the country’s worst industrial disasters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would donate US$100,000 to help with Turkey’s relief efforts. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Ko (柯森耀) visited Turkey’s representative office on Monday to offer the condolences, according to a statement issued by the ministry. After the accident on Tuesday last week, the nation’s representative office in Turkey also offered the nation’s sympathy to the Turkish government. The coal-mine explosion killed at least 301 workers and injured scores, foreign media reported, citing local officials. It is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, the reports said.
SOCIETY
Coffee taster wins
Coffee taster Liu Pang-yu (劉邦禹) beat 36 competitors from around the world at this year’s World Cup Tasters Championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, winning the contest aimed at selecting the world’s best “coffee taster.” Liu, 25, who ranked fourth the previous day, defeated American Amanda Juris to grab the championship by distinguishing the tastes of six out of eight sets of coffee varieties within 3 minutes, 48 seconds. Juris solved five puzzles in 3 minutes, 51 seconds. Speed, skill and accuracy in distinguishing the different specialties of coffees are the criteria used to decide the contest’s champion. The World Cup, held from Thursday last week to Monday, was attended by coffee tasters from 37 countries and areas.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
Three tropical depressions yesterday intensified into tropical storms, with one likely to affect Taiwan as a typhoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The three storms, named Mitag, Ragasa and Neoguri, were designated as storms No. 17 to 19 for this year, the CWA said. Projected routes indicate that Ragasa is most likely to affect Taiwan, it said. As of 2am today, Ragasa was 1,370km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southernmost tip of Taiwan. It was moving west-northwest before turning northwest, slowing from 11kph to 6kph, the agency said. A sea warning for Ragasa is unlikely before Sunday afternoon, but its outer rim
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