The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced the details of a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), saying that they are designed to highlight the importance of the act in strengthening the Taiwan-US partnership and cross-strait peace.
The logo for the celebration is a diamond mounted with an image of the national flags of Taiwan and the US, which symbolizes the stability and endurance of the partnership between the two nations, Department of North American Affairs Director-General Vincent Yao (姚金祥) told a news conference in Taipei.
Yao said the events included the pending publication on social media sites of a three-minute film depicting the achievements in Taiwan-US relations over the past 40 years.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
A civil society dialogue on safeguarding religious freedom in the Indo-Pacific region — organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy at the ministry’s behest — is to be held in Taipei next month, Yao said, adding that it is designed to highlight shared values between Taipei and Washington.
“In addition, a total of seven events under the umbrella of the [Taiwan-US] Global Cooperation Training Framework have been planned for the year, with the topics ranging from law enforcement cooperation, public health, and female empowerment to the preservation of indigenous languages and energy security,” Yao said, adding that the events would be held either in Taiwan or a third country, likely one of the nation’s diplomatic allies.
As the act was signed into law on April 10, 1979, Yao said that the ministry has invited influential think tanks to attend a large-scale forum in Washington in early April and another one in Taipei in the middle of April.
In the same month, a congressional banquet is to be organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US to further consolidate long-term support for Taiwan by the US Congress, Yao said.
He added that the ministry is working on inviting senior US officials to Taiwan in April to attend events to be held by the American Institute in Taiwan to celebrate the anniversary and its upcoming relocation to its new facility in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).
Other events include a youth camp, a visit by Taiwanese agricultural and trade representatives to the US, a photography exhibition, and other programs to increase Americans’ awareness of the significance of the act and the Taiwan-US relationship, he said.
Asked whether the ministry has evaluated a proposal by some US Republican senators for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to deliver a speech before the US Congress, Yao said that there is currently no such plan, but the ministry would continue to work with Washington in a pragmatic manner, and in accordance with the principles of mutual trust and reciprocity.
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
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
RSS