Taiwan does not intend to move its representative office in Israel from Tel Aviv, although it acknowledges Jerusalem as the capital, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
The ministry is keeping a close watch on developments in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that the US now formally recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to relocate its embassy there, ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) told a regular media briefing.
The ministry’s Web site lists Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
“We acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,” he said. “However, at present, we are not considering moving Taiwan’s representative office from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”
Meanwhile, the ministry is calling on Israel and the Palestinian territories to settle their conflict by peaceful means and seek a mutually acceptable peace proposal that would serve the best interests of their people, Lee said.
The Palestinian National Authority has declared “three days of rage,” from Wednesday until today, during which protests are expected to be held in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Lee said, adding that Taiwanese traveling or doing business there are advised to avoid crowded places.
The ministry has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv and other offices to issue advisories to nationals abroad to raise awareness of the situation, Lee 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
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
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