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.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
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