The government yesterday denied suggestions that the National Treasury Administration (NTA) interfered in a lottery tender at the request of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
CTBC Financial Holding, which operates the national lottery, last week announced a lucrative worldwide tender for technical services.
A report published yesterday by the Chinese-language United Daily News said that an AIT official visited NTA Director-General Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗) to give him information about the Nevada-based firm International Game Technology.
Photo: Clare Cheng, Taipei Times
The NTA passed along the information to CTBC for “reference,” the paper reported, quoting an unnamed former Ministry of Finance official as saying that the “inappropriate” action put pressure on the firm to choose the US company.
Hsiao said that the agency only gave the information to CTBC for reference, but did not make a recommendation or interfere in the tender process.
Any firm interested in tendering an offer may do so, he said, adding that he also reiterated to the AIT official that the agency cannot influence the selection process.
In a brief statement, an AIT spokesperson said that officials from around the world, including the US, have always advocated for their nation’s business interests in a variety of ways.
Such forms of “regularized commercial engagement” promote trade and investment links in the global economy, and help strengthen global supply chains, the spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed, saying that it is natural for governments to advocate for their nation’s companies.
The NTA and AIT have responded clearly, emphasizing that the case is an example of “regularized commercial engagement,” the ministry said in a statement.
No pressure was put on CTBC, nor was there any interference, it said, condemning “certain media” for spreading baseless rumors, vilifying the actions of the US and alleging that friendly relations between the two nations are reliant on profit.
After witnessing its many contributions to the international community over the past few years, countries want to deepen their relations with Taiwan, the ministry said.
As Beijing becomes more expansionist, like-minded nations are willing to stand up and defend peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it added.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
RSS