A Chinese delegate attending the closing ceremony of the biennial International Council of Nurses meeting in Singapore on Tuesday reached across other delegates on stage to cover up the Taiwanese delegate’s name badge.
A video showing the incident was posted on Tuesday on the Facebook page of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ching-min (陳靜敏), who is also deputy director of the Taiwan Nurses Association.
In the video, Chinese delegate Wu Ying (吳瑛) reaches across the US delegate to flip over the name badge of association vice president Huang Lien-hua (黃璉華) to prevent the Republic of China (ROC) flag on the badge from being seen.
“China is too afraid of Taiwan being seen by the international community,” Chen said in a statement posted on Facebook.
China had initially told the council it would boycott the meeting if it did not force Huang to use the Chinese national flag on her badge, she said.
Huang was allowed to keep her badge unchanged and attend the ceremony after strongly protesting the demand, she added.
The Chinese delegate’s behavior was “clearly malicious and irrational,” and was caught on camera for everyone to see, she said.
This year’s meeting was attended by 5,310 people, including 419 Taiwanese nurses who presented their theses on healthcare, the association said.
Despite the incident, the association said the meeting was a success for Taiwanese nurses, who had the chance to share their professional experience and research with colleagues from different countries.
The International Council of Nurses was established in 1899 in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 135 members.
The Taiwan Nurses Association is a formal member of the organization, which accepts only one nursing association per country.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united