The British government has informed a pro-Taiwan Conservative lawmaker that it is discussing with partner nations Taiwan’s bid to attend the Interpol General Assembly as an observer.
British lawmaker Philip Hollobone on Tuesday last week asked the UK secretary of state for the home department whether the UK government would support the granting of observer status to Taiwan at the 87th assembly in Dubai from Sunday to Wednesday next week.
In a written reply released on Monday, British Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd described Interpol as “an international police organization, which has a crucial role in ensuring cooperation on matters of international criminality.”
“The British Government continues to hold the view that the people of Taiwan have a meaningful contribution to make towards global issues such as organized crime,” he said.
Although the UK has not made any representations to secure observer status for Taiwan at Interpol this year, Hurd said that “government officials are discussing this issue with international partners.”
Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Tsai Tsan-po (蔡蒼柏) in September sent a letter to Interpol requesting that the bureau be allowed to attend the assembly as an observer and play a role in its activities.
However, on Oct. 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Interpol had officially rejected the request, citing a 1984 resolution recognizing the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole representative of China at Interpol.
The Republic of China (ROC) used to be an Interpol member country, but after China was admitted in 1984 and the ROC was to be forced to change its name to “China, Taiwan,” Taipei decided to withdraw from the organization.
Representative to the UK David Lin (林永樂) yesterday thanked to the British government for its friendship and assistance in promoting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
Pro-Taiwan British parliamentarians have been supportive of Taiwan’s international bids.
On Nov. 2, British lawmaker Nigel Evans and British House of Lords Deputy Speaker Dennis Rogan, who co-chair the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group, called on Interpol to invite Taiwan to the general assembly as an observer.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese