The US Department of State on Thursday said it appreciates Taiwan’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance as part of the US-led coalition to counter the Islamic State (IS) group.
“We certainly appreciate those contributions as we appreciate the contributions of all coalition members,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a news briefing when asked to comment on Taiwan’s attendance at the coalition meeting on Wednesday, and its pledge to continue providing humanitarian assistance in Iraq and Syria.
“I think an important thing to emphasize is that big or small, whatever role any coalition member can play and partner can play, we appreciate it,” Toner said. “I think what the message yesterday was we all need to see how we can do more to finish this.”
Representative to the US Stanley Kao (高碩泰) and officials representing 67 other coalition members attended the meeting in Washington which was presided over by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the first such gathering since US President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.
Kao was also invited to pose for a photograph with Tillerson and other officials. It is rare for a Taiwanese official to attend a public event in a US government building due to the two nations’ lack of official diplomatic ties.
At the news conference, Toner said Tillerson also noted the more than US$2 billion identified by coalition partners for humanitarian, stabilization and demining needs, and “called on all partners to rapidly fulfill their commitments.”
Members have pledged more than US$2 billion in assistance for Iraq and Syria this year, although the amount of Taiwan’s contribution is unknown.
The coalition, which was established in 2014 under the administration of then-US president Barack Obama, has 68 members. In addition to Taiwan, other partners from the Asia-Pacific region include Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.
Taiwan’s participation has consisted of humanitarian assistance, including the donation of 350 temporary housing units and US$100,000 in 2014 for refugees in Iraq displaced by the Islamic State.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that Taiwan donated funds in January to help set up mobile hospitals in Iraq and would continue offering humanitarian assistance in the region, as well as help clear mines once fighting ceases.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is aware that Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong has weakened any possible sentiment for a “one country, two systems” arrangement for Taiwan, and has instructed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) to develop new ways of defining cross-strait relations, Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. A former professor of international politics at Fu Dan University, Wang is expected to develop a dialogue that could serve as the foundation for cross-strait unification, and Xi plans to use the framework to support a fourth term as president, Nikkei Asia quoted an anonymous source
LUCKY DATE: The man picked the 10th ‘Super Red Envelope’ in a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10 A man who recently broke up with his girlfriend won a NT$1 million (US$32,929) prize in the “NT$20 million Super Red Envelope” lottery after picking a card based on the date of their breakup, Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The man, in his 20s, bought the 10th ticket at a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢), because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10, the store owner told the lottery company. The “Super Red Envelope” lottery was a limited offering by the company during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended yesterday. The cards, which cost NT$2,000 each, came with
TOURISM BOOST: The transportation system could help attract more visitors to the area, as the line is to connect multiple cultural sites, a city councilor said Residents in New Taipei City’s Ankeng District (安坑) said the local light rail system might have a positive influence, but raised questions about its practicality. The Ankeng light rail system, which is to commence operations after the Lunar New Year holiday, would cut travel time for commuters from Ankeng to downtown Taipei or New Taipei City by 15 to 20 minutes, the city government said. According to the initial plan, there would be one train every 15 minutes during peak time and additional interval trains would run between the densely populated Ankang Station (安康) and Shisizhang Station (十 四張). To encourage people to
CHAMPION TREES: The team used light detection and ranging imaging to locate the tree, and found that it measured a height of 84.1m and had a girth of 8.5m A team committed to finding the tallest trees in the nation yesterday said that an 84.1m tall Taiwania cryptomerioides tree had been named the tallest tree in Taiwan and East Asia. The Taiwan Champion Trees, a team consisting of researchers from the Council of Agriculture’s Taiwan Forestry Research Institute and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), in June last year used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imaging to find the giant tree, numbered 55214, upstream of the Daan River (大安溪). A 20-member expedition team led by Rebecca Hsu (徐嘉君), an assistant researcher at the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, set out to find the