Two more countries agreed to grant travel facilitation measures for Taiwanese, bringing the number of countries where holders of a Republic of China (ROC) passport can enjoy visa-free travel or visa-on-arrival privileges to 99, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) announced yesterday.
Holders of ROC passports will soon be allowed to enter Australia with electronic visas and to Montenegro without a visa, Ma said at the opening ceremony of an exhibition of ROC diplomatic archives held to celebrate the 150 anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Although the implementation has yet to be decided, related negotiations have been completed. The goal for Taiwan to be included in 100 countries and areas granting us visa-free privileges in this year will soon be achieved,” Ma said.
The ministry dates back to the Zongli Geguo Shiwu Yamen, literally meaning Office in Charge of Affairs of All Nations, which was the name of the government office of imperial China during the Qing Dynasty.
In his speech, Ma recognized the ministry’s efforts to resolve the diplomatic dispute with the Philippines over its deportation of 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China on Feb. 2.
“The two sides have reached an agreement. We received a -formal letter from the Philippines saying it would take punitive actions against officials involved in wrongdoing. They demonstrated concrete actions and we received their sincere apology,” Ma sad.
Ma said the relationships between Taiwan and the Philippines was not damaged because of the deportation case, but was mended and even enhanced because the two sides have agreed to negotiate a deal on mutual judicial assistance and explore the feasibility of an economic cooperation agreement.
The way the government handled the case showcased the possibility that the country can enhance its international space under the principle of “flexible diplomacy,” Ma said.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Academics have expressed mixed views on President William Lai’s (賴清德) nomination of High Prosecutors’ Office Chief Prosecutor Tsai Chiu-ming (蔡秋明) as a Constitutional Court justice and the head of the nation’s top judicial body. While prosecutors have served as justices at the Constitutional Court over the years, including Judy Ju (朱富美), an incumbent, the appointment of a prosecutor as president of the Judicial Yuan, which presides over the Constitutional Court, would be unprecedented. Retired law professor Lin Teng-yao (林騰鷂) said that Tsai’s nomination was an “abuse” of power by Lai, and called on the legislature, in which the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
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