DIPLOMACY
Slovak pact inked
Bratislava Region President Juraj Droba yesterday signed a partnership agreement with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas. The pact was signed at a ceremony at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, during a six-day visit by Droba, as part of a Slovak delegation led by National Council Deputy Speaker Milan Laurencik. Droba said he would like to see increased Slovak investment in Taiwan as the two sides work to develop action plans and agreements. The agreement includes cooperation in economic development, public health, technology, tourism, culture and education, a Kaohsiung City Government press release said.
DIPLOMACY
NYCU wants Ukrainians
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) is planning to sponsor the studies of up to 40 Ukrainian students on its campus to show its support for the country, it said yesterday. NYCU vice president Wei Shun-hua (蔚順華) said an ongoing fundraising campaign launched in April to meet that goal has received substantial donations from various companies and alumni that can support four-year study programs for at least 30 students. Under the project, Ukrainian students displaced by the war with Russia would be able to further their studies while taking free Mandarin-language courses to better adapt to life in Taiwan beginning in the fall semester this year, Wei said. Aside from tuition, the program covers students’ transportation expenses to Taiwan, accommodation and living expenses, as well as other miscellaneous expenses students may encounter during their studies, he said.
TOURISM
Taipei wins ‘Quint Status’
Taipei has been named Asia’s Best Leisure Destination for a fifth consecutive year by Global Traveler, a monthly US-based magazine catering to frequent business and luxury travelers. By winning the honor for a fifth year running, Taiwan also earned “Quint Status,” Global Traveler said on Wednesday in its article announcing the winners of its 10th Leisure Lifestyle Awards for this year. Taipei was followed by Seoul, Phuket, Tokyo and Singapore as the top five Asian leisure destinations. Rounding out the top 10 were Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Osaka and the island of Bali, the magazine said. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was in fourth place in the Best Airport for Layovers category, behind Istanbul Grand Airport, Miami International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport.
CRIME
Man made gun ‘for food’
A Thai man who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for constructing a firearm from old shovels, scrap metal and pipes said he made the weapon to hunt for food, the Taichung District Court said on Wednesday. The man was arrested on Sept. 7 last year after authorities found him shooting birds by an embankment in Taichung, the verdict said. Police confiscated the man’s homemade firearm, as well as gunpowder and metal pellets he was using as ammunition. In his defense, the man said he had been using the weapon to hunt for food, with his lawyer citing the nation’s Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), which allows those from Taiwan’s indigenous community to legally possess homemade hunting weapons. However, the court said the exception did not apply, as the man was from Thailand, not a member of Taiwan’s indigenous population. The verdict may be appealed.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against