Representative to the US Stanley Kao (高碩泰) on Wednesday attended a meeting of a US-led coalition to counter the Islamic State (IS) group in Washington.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson presided over the meeting of the Global Coalition on the Defeat of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), the first since US President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.
The coalition, which was established in 2014 during the administration of then-US president Barack Obama, has 68 members.
Photo: CNA
In addition to Taiwan, coalition members in the Asia-Pacific region include Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.
Taiwan’s participation has been in the area of humanitarian assistance, such as providing 350 temporary housing units to Iraqi refugees displaced by the militant group in 2014 and donating US$100,000 to provide shelter for refugees.
Taiwan’s representative office in the US declined to comment when asked how Taipei plans to continue its humanitarian efforts in the region.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) yesterday said that as a member of the international community, Taiwan has adamantly adhered to the universal values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights.
“With that spirit in mind and based on our shared values, the nation has actively supported and participated in international cooperation on emerging issues, such as humanitarian aid, medical assistance, disease prevention and research, anti-terrorism, and combating transnational crime,” he said.
“These efforts are aimed at making Taiwan an indispensable partner of the international community,” he added.
The meeting coincided with a terror attack in London, where an assailant in a car plowed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before running through the gates of the British Parliament and fatally stabbing an unarmed police officer.
He was shot dead by police officers.
The attack left four people dead, including the assailant, and at least 40 injured.
In a written statement, Tillerson condemned “these horrific acts of violence,” saying that “whether they were carried out by troubled individuals or by terrorists, the victims know no difference.”
He also extended his condolences to the victims’ families.
Trump telephoned British Prime Minister Theresa May to offer his condolences over the attack, praising the “prompt response” by UK security forces and first responders, and pledged the US’ “full support and cooperation” in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice.
Additional reporting by Stacy Hsu
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS