The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that it was “optimistic and hopeful” about bilateral ties after reports that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to be replaced by CIA Director Michael Pompeo.
At a routine news conference in Taipei, Department of North American Affairs Director-General Remus Chen (陳立國) said Pompeo was “an extraordinary friend” of Taiwan.
When Pompeo was a member of the US House of Representatives, he voted in favor of Taiwan’s participation in Interpol and the International Civil Aviation Organization, and sent a congratulatory note to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) after her election, Chen said.
The government was grateful to Tillerson for his contributions to the strengthening of the Taiwan-US friendship, he said.
At his confirmation hearing in February last year, Tillerson said that the US was committed to the “six assurances” and during his tenure he supported arms sales to Taiwan, Chen said.
Despite US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton’s comments earlier this month regarding recognition of Taiwan, the US Department of Commerce and US Small Businesses Administration senior officials have continued to visit the nation and show goodwill, Chen said.
“Taiwan and the US will continue to cooperate under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, regardless of future appointments at the US Department of State,” he said.
“Taiwan-US cooperation is based on the foundation of mutual goodwill and the two sides will keep improving the partnership on substantive issues,” he added.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
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