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.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
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