DIPLOMACY
France visa talks under way
Taiwan and France are moving closer to a bilateral agreement that would implement a reciprocal working holiday program for young adults, a source familiar with diplomatic affairs said. The two nations have been discussing the program for many years and it might come to fruition in the near future, the sources said. The two nations view the development as “good news,” the source said. During the discussions, France developed a certain level of trust in Taiwan based on a perception of sincerity, the source said. Four Cabinet officials — including Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) — have studied in France, the source said. French Office in Taipei Director Benoit Guidee had said previously that if the two sides signed a working holiday agreement, the initial quota would be about 500 annually.
EDUCATION
Mongolia MOU signed
Taipei National University of the Arts and the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Ulan Bator to foster bilateral cooperation in cultural and arts education. Taipei university president Yang Chyi-wen (楊其文) and Mongolian university rector Sonintogos Erdenetsogt signed the MOU on behalf of their respective schools at a ceremony that was also attended by Representative to Mongolia Huang Kuo-jung (黃國榮). The two schools are to jointly organize forums on education, carry out programs on experimental education, engage in faculty and student exchanges and host joint exhibitions of the arts, a statement issued by the Taipei Trade and Economic Representative Office in Ulan Bator said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
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