The 11th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy is to convene in Taipei tomorrow, with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) scheduled to attend the opening of the three-day event.
About 300 delegates from 70 countries are registered to take part in the conference, event organizer National Endowment for Democracy said.
Participating democracy advocates, parliamentarians, academics and other international experts are to deliberate on efforts to counter authoritarian challenges and foster democratic momentum, the Washington-based organization said.
Endowment president Damon Wilson said during a visit to Taipei in March that a historic moment is being presented as the world faces growing troubles with crackdowns against democracy movements in Myanmar and Hong Kong in particular
Taiwan’s vibrant democracy is a success story amid global setbacks, he added.
The assembly is to highlight a new generation of leaders in democracy movements, hoping that hosting the conference in Taipei could inspire democracy efforts worldwide.
“Taiwan will be at the center of a global agenda for freedom, as part of integrating Taiwanese perspectives into the world, ensuring that Taiwan is a hub for democrats,” Wilson said in March as he announced Taipei as this year’s host city.
The theme this year is “Claiming the Democratic Future: Unifying Voices for a New Frontier,” as Taiwan and Ukraine are on the front lines of the global fight for democracy, the organization said.
Scheduled discussions include ways to combat disinformation, strengthen mobilization of democracy efforts and bolster solidarity among global democratic alliances, it said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
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