President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has been named this year’s recipient of the Eisenhower Medallion for his efforts to promote regional peace, according to the US-based People to People International (PTPI) organization.
The award, presented by the organization founded in 1956 by then-US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, recognizes Ma’s East China Sea peace initiative that seeks to resolve territorial disputes in the area through peaceful means.
The 2012 initiative advocates that all claimants to disputed areas refrain from antagonistic actions; set aside their controversies and engage in dialogue; observe international law and resolve disputes through peaceful means; seek consensus on a code of conduct in the region; and establish a mechanism for the joint exploration and development of resources.
Ma, 64, was nominated by the PTPI’s Greater Tainan chapter and is to receive the award on Friday at the PTPI’s 21st worldwide conference that is being held from today until Sunday in Greater Tainan.
Tainan PTPI official Chang Fu-chuan (張富全) said Ma’s peace initiative, which urges trilateral discussions among Taiwan, Japan and China to reach an agreement on territorial disputes, was recognized and praised at a PTPI board meeting.
The award is presented to an internationally known individual or organization in recognition of their exceptional contribution to world peace during a period of at least five years, according to PTPI’s Web site.
Ma is the second Taiwanese to receive the honor, after Master Cheng Yen (證嚴法師), founder of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, in 1994.
Past Eisenhower Medallion recipients include former South African president Nelson Mandela (2010), tenor Luciano Pavarotti (2004), King Hussein I of Jordan (2002), archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu (2000), Medecins Sans Frontieres (1992), Mother Teresa (1988) and Neil Armstrong (1969).
PTPI promotes international understanding and world peace through cultural, educational and humanitarian activities.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
RSS