Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on Tuesday began his stopover in Los Angeles on his way to Honduras with an online meeting with US lawmakers that touched on bilateral trade and China.
Lai, who is leading a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of Honduran president-elect Xiomara Castro today, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at about 6:35am on Tuesday, the Presidential Office said.
Lai, joined by Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), brought up bilateral trade relations and the threats posed by China, said Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋), who is the office’s deputy secretary-general and a member of the delegation.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office via CNA
Lee did not provide further details on what was discussed, but said US Senator Edward Markey, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Asia-Pacific, and US Representative Mark Takano, chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, were among the 17 US lawmakers who attended the meeting.
Following the meeting, US Representative John Curtis of Utah wrote on social media that he “was honored to lead the first meeting with the VP of Taiwan on his trip to the US.”
“Utah and Taiwan have many ties, ties I have worked to strengthen during my time in Congress,” he said.
The meeting was the first of seven videoconferences that Lai was to have with US politicians and representatives of Taiwanese communities during his 24-hour stopover in Los Angeles, the office said.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Lai was greeted by American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty, who boarded the charter plane to welcome the delegation.
The institute represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Lai then went to Hilton Los Angeles and Universal City Hotel, where he was greeted by Honduran Consul-General Maria Fernanda Rivera Fiallos, as well as dozens of Taiwanese expatriates.
Speaking to reporters outside the hotel, Lai thanked the Taiwanese community in the US for its efforts and contributions to increasing Taiwan’s participation in international society.
Lai’s delegation is to depart for Honduras this morning.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
Three tropical depressions yesterday intensified into tropical storms, with one likely to affect Taiwan as a typhoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The three storms, named Mitag, Ragasa and Neoguri, were designated as storms No. 17 to 19 for this year, the CWA said. Projected routes indicate that Ragasa is most likely to affect Taiwan, it said. As of 2am today, Ragasa was 1,370km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southernmost tip of Taiwan. It was moving west-northwest before turning northwest, slowing from 11kph to 6kph, the agency said. A sea warning for Ragasa is unlikely before Sunday afternoon, but its outer rim
RSS