President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was on Thursday decorated by Belizean Governor-General Colville Young — the representative of the country’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II — in recognition of Tsai’s outstanding leadership and contributions to the friendship between Taiwan and Belize.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Museum of Belize, Tsai said that the honor was symbolic of the firm relations between the two countries and is a token of recognition of the development of their partnership.
For most of the past 30 years, Taiwan and Belize have maintained close cooperation in the infrastructure, agriculture, public health, culture, education and telecommunication spheres, Tsai said, adding that she hopes that the two countries will continue to expand two-way ties based on the that foundation.
Photo: CNA
Tsai also thanked Young for his backing of Taiwan’s bids to take part in international organizations and urged him to continue supporting Taiwan to enable the two countries to make greater contributions to the world.
Earlier on Thursday, Tsai flew into Belize from Paraguay, where she attended the inauguration of Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez in the capital, Asuncion, on Wednesday.
Tsai was greeted at the airport by Young and a military salute that included an airplane and two UH-1 helicopters flying over the ceremony in formation.
Taiwan donated the helicopters to Belize in April 2016 for humanitarian assistance and rescue missions, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Tsai later had her picture taken by the front door of the Taiwanese embassy, located at No. 1 Taiwan Street in Belize City.
The name of the street was in January changed to include “Taiwan” by former Belize mayor Darrell Bradley in a gesture to highlight the close relationship between the city and the embassy.
Tsai also hosted a ceremony to award scholarships provided by the government to Belizean students.
More than 200 students from Belize are now serving their country after graduating from universities in Taiwan, Tsai said, encouraging the awardees to experience Taiwan’s diverse cultures and introduce Belize’s culture to Taiwanese.
Tsai is to return to Taiwan on Monday, concluding a nine-day visit to Paraguay and Belize — her fifth overseas trip since taking office in May 2016.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS