The Taiwan-Slovakia Exchange Association was established on Monday at the initiative of Soochow University and the Slovak Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei to promote bilateral relations.
The group is being founded to “bring Taiwan and Slovakia closer through civil society,” Soochow University president Pan Wei-ta (潘維大) said at a founding ceremony at the university.
Slovak Economic and Cultural Office Representative Martin Podstavek thanked his Taiwanese partners for their efforts in raising Slovakia-Taiwan relations to a new level.
Slovakia and Taiwan have close cultural interactions, including in the area of children’s literature, Podstavek said.
Eight Slovak children’s books have been published in Taiwan over the past two years and nine Taiwanese books in Slovakia, he said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) described Slovakia as a “very friendly country,” citing its listing of Taiwan as a safe nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tseng cited Taiwanese business investments in Slovakia, scholarships provided by Taiwan to Slovak students and a number of agreements signed between the two sides as proof of close relations.
“Three major Taiwanese companies — Foxconn, Delta Electronics and AU Optronics — have made significant investments in Slovakia, taking advantage of its strategic location in central Europe,” Tseng said. “We have also signed several agreements in the past years, including for double taxation avoidance in 2011, mutual recognition of driver’s licenses in 2012 and a memorandum on a youth working holiday program in 2014.”
Members of the association are mostly from the business, academic and cultural sectors, said Chang Chia-ming (張家銘), director of the Central and Eastern European Center at Soochow University, who was elected the first chairman of the association.
The association’s first project is a Slovak-Czech literature exhibition tour in Taiwan, which began on Monday and runs into the first half of next year, Chang said, adding that it also plans to organize an exhibit of Taiwanese literary works in Slovakia after the pandemic subsides.
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
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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