The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on Tuesday said an emergency message it sent to US citizens in Taiwan on Feb. 10 was a reminder to be prepared for natural disasters, after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southeastern Turkey on Feb. 6.
The AIT represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
It explained the purpose of the emergency message after a local TV station reported that the AIT sent an e-mail to US citizens about a possible evacuation in the event of a cross-strait conflict.
Citing an unnamed source, the report claimed the message said that if cross-strait tensions were to escalate, an evacuation plan could be launched under the codeword “earthquake.”
The report did not present a copy of the message or any details to confirm that it even existed.
The only emergency message sent by the AIT so far this year has been the message on Feb. 10, titled “Preparing Now for Disasters.”
An AIT spokesperson said the message was “part of our regular, ongoing outreach conducted to US citizens worldwide,” which is done because “the welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State.”
The message, which is also available on the AIT’s Web site, says news of the earthquake “reminds us that a disaster can occur at any time, unexpectedly, and the best time to prepare for one is now.”
“AIT reminds US citizens in Taiwan that Taiwan is in a region prone to disasters. If you find yourself affected by an unexpected disaster, your own preparations will be most important,” it says.
The message also urged Americans to prepare a “go-bag” to ensure documents and necessary supplies are easily accessible in case of emergency.
It also advised US citizens to enroll in the state department’s Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program to receive security messages.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS