Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has welcomed the government’s “new southbound policy” and said he hopes that Taipei and Manila can deepen bilateral exchanges.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has proposed the policy aimed at improving relations with Southeast Asian countries to reduce economic dependence on China and create opportunities for Taiwanese businesses in Southeast Asia and India.
The Philippines, with its fast-growing economy, is considered an important partner in the plan.
Duterte, the outgoing mayor of Davao, Philippines, told reporters that he welcomed the policy and said he saw an opportunity for agricultural cooperation between the two nations.
The Philippines has large swathes of land and has great agricultural development potential, the 71-year-old politician said, eyeing the opportunity to cooperate with Taiwan’s advanced agriculture sector.
Duterte visited Taiwan several times during his time as mayor of Davao.
His impression of Taiwan is of a peaceful and safe place where people can walk city streets even at midnight, he said.
In 2012, he visited Taiwan to promote police exchanges with Davao.
During Duterte’s presidential election campaign, he paid a three-day visit to Taiwan in January to observe the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including the high-speed rail system and the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system.
On that trip, he called on officials at the Philippines’ National Police Agency, the Investigation Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss bilateral law enforcement cooperation in combating crime, the drug trade and gun smuggling.
Duterte, known for his efforts to fight crime and drug trafficking, has long supported continued cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines in law enforcement.
Duterte is to be sworn in as president of the Philippines on June 30.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS