President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday ordered public institutions to fly the nation’s flag at half-mast tomorrow to honor former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed on Friday after being shot during a campaign event in western Japan.
All Taiwanese flags at government buildings and public schools across Taiwan will be flown at half-mast for one day to honor Abe’s decades-long contributions to promoting bilateral ties between Taiwan and Japan, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said in a statement.
The move is also intended to show that Taiwan stands with Japan in firmly defending freedom and democracy, Chang said, adding that Abe was a staunch supporter of Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
He said that Abe helped facilitate Japan’s donation of 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan last year amid a shortage, and lauded the quality of Taiwanese pineapples on social media after China blocked imports of the fruit in August last year.
Abe was also the forerunner in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and had repeatedly underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Chang added.
Abe died on Friday evening, at the age of 67, hours after being shot twice during an election campaign in Nara, Japan. A 41-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene.
Taiwanese politicians across the political spectrum have expressed their condolences, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) denouncing the assassination as “violating the basic principles of a democratic and rule-based society.”
Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said that Tsai would decide whether Taiwan is to send a parliamentary delegation to Japan to pay tribute to Abe, whose funeral has been set for Tuesday.
You said that Abe had agreed to visit the nation and planned to give a speech at the Legislative Yuan, but “sadly, that won’t be happening anymore.”
“Abe will be forever missed by Taiwanese,” You added.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said that the National Palace Museum could be used to hold a special exhibition in memory of Abe at its southern branch in Chiayi County.
The branch had previously hosted exhibitions featuring Japanese culture, including works of art from the Tokyo National Museum, Kyushu National Museum and Kobe City Museum, making it a good fit to hold such a special event to enable Taiwanese to learn more about Abe’s life and his relations with Taiwan, he added.
Additional reporting by Wang Chien-hao and Lin Yi-chang
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
GLOBAL PROJECT: Underseas cables ‘are the nervous system of democratic connectivity,’ which is under stress, Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols said The government yesterday launched an initiative to promote global cooperation on improved security of undersea cables, following reported disruptions of such cables near Taiwan and around the world. The Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables aims to “bring together stakeholders, align standards, promote best practices and turn shared concerns into beneficial cooperation,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a seminar in Taipei. The project would be known as “RISK,” an acronym for risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform and knowledge building, he said at the seminar, titled “Taiwan-Europe Subsea Cable Security Cooperation Forum.” Taiwan sits at a vital junction on
RSS