President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday in Kaohsiung City that Taiwan will firmly anchor itself within the world community by shouldering its share of international responsibility.
Chen told the sixth Asian-Pacific Non-governmental Organization Conference on the Environment that the Taiwan never forgets its duty to the world and will work together with international groups which share its concerns for sustainable development.
Noting that any development which spoils the environment will not last long, Chen said Asian-Pacific states should bear this in mind while pursuing their economic development.
Chen said that environmental protection measures worked out by the government cannot be effective without the participation of the general public -- and that is where NGOs can help.
The conference on the environment, called by the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan, began Friday. It has brought together 100-odd environmental specialists from 16 countries.
The participants will discuss water management, ocean and coastal management, urban environment, wetlands and biodiversity, public and private partnerships in environmental management among other issues at the four-day conference.
Meanwhile Vice President Annette Lu (
"Because of Taiwan's successful democratic development and the outstanding achievements of President Chen's administration, more and more countries and international organizations are interested in visiting our country," Lu said when inspecting infrastructure in southern Taiwan.
"I hope to set up at least three multi-function parks in the country -- one each in the northern, central and southern parts of Taiwan. And each park should be well equipped for holding large conventions in the future," she said.
Lu, accompanied by foreign business leaders and local government officials, visited some historical spots at the Ta-pan Bay in Pingtung County. She said that there should be a cultural and tourism park or conference center there to prepare for the future direct trade, transport, and postal with China.
"Such parks or centers will not only to help increase local-government revenue but more importantly, will increase Taiwan's visibility in the international community," she said.
Lu also urged the government to invite foreign business leaders to invest in the plan so that Taiwan's tourism industries may develop a strategic alliance with those international enterprises.
"Taiwan can become Asia's Switzerland and Kaohsiung's port is the the best place to launch direct links once the two sides of the Taiwan Strait agree.
"Then southern Taiwan may become one of the economic, cultural, and tourist attractions of the Eastern Asia, and possibly the world," Lu said.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Fast food chain McDonald's is to raise prices by up to NT$5 on some products at its restaurants across Taiwan, starting on Wednesday next week, the company announced today. The prices of all extra value meals and sharing boxes are to increase by NT$5, while breakfast combos and creamy corn soup would go up by NT$3, the company said in a statement. The price of the main items of those meals, if ordered individually, would remain the same. Meanwhile, the price of a medium-sized lemon iced tea and hot cappuccino would rise by NT$3, extra dipping sauces for chicken nuggets would go up
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
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