Exchanges between Taipei and cities in China, including adding a new panda to Taipei Zoo, would be beneficial, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.
Chiang made the remarks in response to a question about reports that China might gift Taipei a giant panda.
Taiwanese online news outlet Storm Media yesterday reported that with the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) major victories in last year’s local elections, the Chinese government would seek to foster positive cross-strait relations this year.
Photo: CNA
The report said that following visits to China by high-ranking KMT officials, Beijing would give Taipei a new giant panda, after the death last year of Taipei Zoo’s male giant panda Tuan Tuan (團團), also previously gifted by China.
When asked about the report, Chiang said that exchanges between cities or receiving a new panda would be beneficial to Taipei.
He said he would ask Taipei Zoo and the city government’s cross-strait affairs task force to look into the matter, and that he would publicize any preliminary conclusions from such discussions.
Chiang was speaking on the sidelines of a Taipei Rapid Transit Corp event featuring a special MRT train exclusively for pets, to celebrate International Pet Day tomorrow.
Thirty-six pet owners and 42 pets — small and medium-sized dogs and cats — were preregistered to ride the train.
The pets were required to wear harnesses and leashes at all times during the journey, but were allowed to explore the train freely with their owners.
The short train ride was only a trial run for the city government to gather opinions from pet owners and animal welfare groups, Chiang said.
As more than 210,000 cats and dogs are registered in Taipei, the city government views animal protection as an important issue, and plans to add two more dog parks this year and work with community colleges to promote life education, he said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS