The Kaohsiung City Government asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for administrative assistance with Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) 10-day US trip, which began yesterday, but while it would give assistance, it would not help him with accommodation and transportatin, because it was not asked to do so, deputy ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said yesterday in Taipei.
The ministry encourages city-to-city diplomacy, as diplomatic work requires collaboration from local and central governments across party lines, she said.
Han left a day ahead of schedule.
Photo: CNA
While there were rumors that he changed the schedule to be able to meet officials in Washington without media attention, the Kaohsiung City Government said the earlier departure was intended to give Han more time to adjust to the time difference between Taiwan and the US.
Han is scheduled to give talks at Harvard University and Stanford University, and meet with a retired ambassador and company representatives, the city government said.
He would not meet Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, but would meet Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Nina Hachigian in a private capacity, city officials said.
Before his departure, Han met with Taipei Forum chairman Su Chi (蘇起) — who as Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) chairman in 2000 coined the term “1992 consensus” — and a group of academics at Kaohsiung City Hall.
Asked about Han’s controversial visit to China’s Hong Kong Liaison Office, Su said people “took it too seriously.”
The visit did not involve the same level of political sensitivity that a visit by a central government official would, Su said.
Asked if they discussed the “1992 consensus” during the meeting, the mayor said no.
However, he shares the same idea as his academic visitors: that Kaohsiung should keep an open mind and promote its businesses and products to other places, Han said.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang
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
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 Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
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
RSS