Despite President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) “diplomatic truce” and the appearance of warming ties between Taipei and Beijing, China continues to use pressure to bar Taiwanese from participating in international events.
According to the Chinese-language United Daily News, Taiwan’s team in the 4th Annual Warrior Competition was unable to participate in the event after China decided to register for the special forces competition held at the state-of-the-art King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) in Amman, Jordan, from May 2 through May 6.
Event organizers have confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army team lodged a protest with KASOTC and compelled it to respect the “one China” policy, which barred Taiwan from taking part. Days before they were set to depart for Jordan, the Taiwanese team of eight army airborne officers was informed that their qualification for the event had been withdrawn.
Although Taiwanese special forces have participated in several international competitions in the past, this year was the first time it had registered for the Warrior Competition, although it sent observers to last year’s event.
A total of 16 teams from the military, law enforcement and the private sector participated this year, the organizer said on its Web site, with Germany’s GSG9 counter-terrorism unit taking top prize.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) blamed the lack of official diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Jordan for the incident, a turn of events that could nevertheless be an embarrassment to Ma, who has argued that his diplomatic truce with Beijing is helping combat Taiwan’s international isolation.
Over the years, Jordan has bought thousands of Taiwan-made T86 carbines and T91 assault rifles with which to equip its special forces. Until about 10 years ago, small contingents of Jordanian special forces undertook training in Taiwan.
According to Jordanian media, the country’s regal head, King Abdullah II, visited Taiwan on three occasions prior to ascending the throne in 1999.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
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