TV networks and government agencies yesterday got together to organize Taiwan’s biggest soccer World Cup final party, transforming the grounds in front of Taipei’s Presidential Office Building into soccer fields.
The “World Cup Championship Night,” hosted by the Chinese Television System (CTS, 華視) network, started in the afternoon with thousands of people taking in freestyle soccer skills displays, five-on-five matches, musical performances and other entertainment.
The party was to last into the early morning, bringing together sports fans for the World Cup finale between Croatia and France, which was to be shown on a 450-inch (11.43m) screen from 11pm.
Photo: CNA
CTS held the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup games along with ELTA TV.
The matches played in front of the Presidential Office Building included children’s’ contests held by the Taiwan Mini Football Association, while five adult squads vied for the “Taiwan Cup” (台灣盃), including two teams of migrant workers from Vietnam and Indonesia, a “Team Japan” and a “UN Team” of other foreigners.
The organizers made a special effort to invite the Indonesian and Vietnamese migrant workers to participate, CTS general manager Leo Chuang (莊豐嘉) said.
“We know that soccer is very popular in Southeast Asian nations and their national squads are very skilled,” Chuang said. “Even when working in Taiwan, migrant workers still take time out on weekends to play soccer.”
“New Taipei City and Taoyuan have been holding tournaments where foreigners form teams and compete against each other, and our event here reflects the open and diverse nature of Taiwanese society,” he said.
Public Television Service chairwoman Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀) said she wanted to show that diversity to the world.
“It sends out a message that Taiwan is a friendly country and that we are open to different cultures,” she said.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊), Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) were to make an appearance at the event in the evening, CTS officials said.
‘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