■ DIPLOMACY
AIT chief arriving in August
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) would assume his post late next month, but the exact date would be announced by Washington. Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), director-general of the ministry's Department of North American Affairs, said that before the new US envoy, William Stanton, heads to Taiwan, he would meet local correspondents and media today in Washington. Stanton is expected to give a short on-the-record talk and then answer questions off the record, Tseng said. Tseng also reiterated Taiwan's support for Stanton's appointment. “The foreign ministry welcomes the designation of Stanton, who is very familiar with Asian affairs and is closely following current developments across the Taiwan Strait. We believe that he is the right person for the post,” Tseng said.
■ FESTIVALS
Canada holding Taiwan fest
The 20th annual Taiwan Fest in Canada will start on Aug. 25 in Toronto and on Aug. 27 in Vancouver. Called the “New Journey,” the festival will feature different aspects of Taiwanese arts and cultures, ranging from fashion to music, movies, cuisines and the performing arts. Several popular Taiwanese indie bands will play at the two events and participants will also be treated to an exhibition of the latest Taiwanese fashion. A film festival will showcase many recent Taiwanese features, including Cape No. 7 and Blue Brave. For more information, visit www.taiwanfest.ca.
■ ENVIRONMENT
Whale-watching tours drop
The number of whale and dolphin watchers in Hualien is estimated to drop by between 20 percent and 30 percent compared with last year because of the economic downturn, industry workers said. Groups of visitors used to flock to Hualien in summer for cetacean-watching tours, except in bad weather conditions such as typhoons, a worker in the whale-watching business said. But while the number of visitors increased year-on-year early this month, it did not rise after the middle of this month — which is traditionally the peak season. Workers in the industry are worried that the decline could persist for the rest of the year, saying the economic slump seems to have dissuaded people from visiting. A worker said that the number of whales and dolphins observed this year had also dropped, attributing the decline to an effect of damage to the ecosystem.
■ CRIME
Murder probe concludes
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office yesterday concluded its investigation into the 1981 death in Taipei of US-based Taiwanese academic Chen Wen-chen (陳文成) believed to be a political murder during the White Terror era, but did not name suspects. Chen's battered body was discovered on July 2, 1981, on the campus of National Taiwan University one day after he was taken away by Taiwan Garrison Command. The office said prosecutors did not have solid evidence to indict Wang Ching-hsu (汪敬煦), the head of the garrison command, Kuo Hsueh-chou (郭學周), its division director, Tsuo Hsiao-han (鄒小韓), and its cadres Wang Wen-bin (王文繽) and Wang Yi-hua (王憶華). Chen, then an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, had returned to Taiwan to visit his family. He was taken from his house by three Garrison Command officers for questioning over his support for the anti-government Formosa Magazine. He was 31.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as