Washington has been in talks with Taipei for the past few weeks in preparation for the unveiling of its China strategy yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Communications between the US and Taiwan were “intense” in the run-up to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s speech on China policy at George Washington University, the ministry said.
The contents of those discussions are being kept private, ministry deputy spokesman Tsuei Ching-lin (崔靜麟) said at a news conference.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Blinken outlined US President Joe Biden administration’s policy toward China at the university at 10am yesterday in Washington.
The speech, which had been postponed from early last month after Blinken tested positive for COVID-19, came on the heels of Biden’s trip to Asia this week, which ended on Tuesday, and was reportedly aimed at reinvigorating relationships with US allies to counter China’s influence in the region.
During Biden’s visit to Japan, he said in response to a reporter’s question that the US would intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.
Biden’s off-the-cuff remark was interpreted by some people as a more open commitment of US intervention, or “strategic clarity,” and a deviation from the US’ policy of “strategic ambiguity,” which allows it to remain vague about its response to a potential attack on Taiwan by China.
However, Biden on Tuesday said that the US policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan “has not changed at all,” after he met with his colleagues at the leaders’ summit of the Quad nations, including prime ministers Fumio Kishida of Japan, Anthony Albanese of Australia and Narendra Modi of India.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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
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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