The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday downplayed speculation that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) might soon visit the US and speak at Cornell University.
The rumors originated among political figures and in the media, and are unfounded, the ministry said.
The Presidential Office has a policy to publicly announce the president’s visits to other countries when they are scheduled, it added.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Tsai in 2019 spent a total of four nights in the US — in New York and Denver — on her way to and from visits to Caribbean diplomatic allies St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti.
Tsai met with Taiwanese and US business representatives, and attended a banquet with members of the Taiwanese-American community.
At the time, Tsai was treated as a distinguished guest in the US, setting a precedent, the ministry said.
Among the reports foreseeing a visit to the US by Tsai was an article in the Japanese Sankei Shimbun yesterday saying Tsai would travel to the country in August.
Three possibilities are under consideration, according to anonymous government sources cited in the article.
One is that Tsai would speak at an event hosted by her alma mater, Cornell University, in New York State.
This would echo former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) US visit in June 1995, when he spoke at Cornell, where he obtained a doctoral degree in agricultural economics in 1968.
Another plan would have Tsai attend an event at a US think tank, while a third possibility would have Tsai stop in the US on her way to or from the inauguration of the Paraguayan president in August, the report said.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
RSS