The White House on Thursday praised Taiwan’s enriched uranium policies, as more than 50 national leaders met in Washington for a two-day summit aimed at halting nuclear proliferation.
“With respect to Taiwan’s contributions, obviously they’ve made an important contribution along with others in getting rid of stockpiles of highly enriched uranium,” US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said.
He was addressing a news briefing following a trilateral meeting — held as the summit opened — between US President Barack Obama, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
A major focus of the summit is preventing organizations such as the Islamic State group from obtaining nuclear material or a nuclear device.
Obama has made securing nuclear material around the world a top priority.
A White House spokesman on Wednesday said that since Obama first initiated the current series of nuclear security summits, “13 countries, plus Taiwan, have eliminated their stockpile of highly enriched uranium — another tangible example of the progress that we have made.”
At Thursday’s news briefing Rhodes was asked why Taiwan — which was not invited to the summit — was singled out for special mention.
“The summit process obviously doesn’t encompass the entire world, but we do want to find ways to have partnerships beyond the summit participants. And so Taiwan’s cooperation, I think, sends an important message in Asia and around the world about the benefits of nuclear security,” he said.
The briefing was held shortly before Obama met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for closed doors talks.
US National Security Council Asia Director Daniel Krittenbrink was asked if he expected Taiwan to be discussed during the Obama-Xi meeting.
“I do anticipate that it’s likely the issue of Taiwan will come up in the bilateral with President Xi because the issue of Taiwan almost always comes up in any meeting between our two presidents,” Krittenbrink said.
“What I’m confident will happen, if and when that issue is raised, is that President Obama will make very clear that we remain committed to our ‘one China’ policy based on both the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act,” he said. “I’m confident he’ll also make very clear that we have welcomed the historic progress in cross-strait relations over the last eight years.”
The US would like to see that progress — “peace and stability” — continue, Krittenbrink said.
“Our fundamental national interest of course is in the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We have encouraged both counterparts in Beijing and Taipei to continue that work as the new DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] administration comes into power in Taipei,” he said.
Asked about the US priority interest and priority concern as president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) prepares to take office, Rhodes said: “Our ‘one China’ policy has made clear that our overriding interest is in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
“I think we’ve had very clear and candid discussion with both Beijing and Taipei about that. And again, if the issue come up this afternoon, I’m confident that that’s the message the president will convey to President Xi,” Rhodes said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS