Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara was forced to cancel a sightseeing trip to eastern Taiwan due to the approaching Typhoon Nock-Ten, officials at the Ministry of Transportation and Commun-ications (MOTC) said yesterday.
Ishihara, who arrived in Taipei yesterday, was invited by the ministry's Tourism Bureau and the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to take a top-end sightseeing train that travels through Ilan, Hualien and Taitung.
"Governor Ishihara intends to help promote tourism in Taiwan through the trip. His visit will greatly boost our tourism industry," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release announcing the official's visit last Friday.
"We welcome [Governor Ishi-hara's] visit," MOFA said.
However, as the rare autumn typhoon is expected to pound the island with heavy rains today, transportation officials said Ishihara's trip has been postponed to tomorrow or Wednesday.
MOTC officials might show Ishihara some tourist destinations in northern Taiwan instead. "We really have no clear idea about what is going to happen," said TRA spokesman Sung Chien-ping (宋建平).
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (林陵三) met with Ishihara last night to discuss the changed itinerary, according to Sung.
Ishihara is scheduled to meet with President Chen Shui-bian (
According to Ishihara's original itinerary, he was to travel by train from Taipei to Hualien via Ilan today and from Hualien to Taitung tomorrow. He is scheduled to fly from Taitung back to Taipei Wednesday.
During his visit, Ishihara will visit the National Center for Traditional Arts in Ilan, the Taroko National Park and hot springs and aboriginal tribes in Taitung.
The official is also slated to meet up with county commissioners of Ilan, Hualien and Taitung during his train trip. He will leave Taiwan Thursday, MOFA said.
South Korean visit
Meanwhile, former South Korean president Kim Young-sam will be arriving at Taipei today for an eight-day visit. Kim will be meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen at the Grand Hotel tonight.
One of Kim's purposes in visiting Taipei is to celebrate the resumption of air transportation between South Korea and Taiwan, which ceased after the two nations cut diplomatic ties in 1992.
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their
‘EXTREME PRESSURE’: Beijing’s goal is to ‘force Taiwan to make mistakes,’ Admiral Tang Hua said, adding that mishaps could serve as ‘excuses’ for launching a blockade China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will. The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement. China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth. The navy continues to
MISSILE MISSION: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology said it does not make policy, but would be glad to obtain certification to assemble the missiles The Ministry of National Defense-affiliated Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is in the process of getting certified to assemble an additional 1,985 Stinger missiles on top of those from US arms sales, a senior defense official said yesterday. Washington is to send a team to Taiwan to evaluate the institute’s manufacturing capabilities and information security, said the official, who commented on condition of anonymity. The ministry initially bought 500 missiles for the army and navy, but later increased the order to 2,485 in response to an increase in Beijing’s military activities around the nation, and to meet the army’s urgent need
RSS