Taiwan has donated US$5 million to Lithuanian-led reconstruction projects in Ukraine, a Lithuanian government investment agency said on Wednesday.
The funds would be spent rebuilding a school in Borodianka and a kindergarden in Irpin, the Central Project Management Agency said in a statement.
The Lithuanian government has spent 9.8 million euros (US$10.6 million) on the projects and the Taiwanese contribution would be used to purchase educational equipment, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava via CNA
“Taiwan sees Ukraine as our own image on a different continent. We both face authoritarian regimes which do not shy from using force to impose their world view,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Lee (李淳) said when announcing the donation in Vilnius.
“If one day Taiwan is facing an increased level of military intimidation from China, we will be looking for your assistance as well, just as we are helping Ukraine,” he said.
China last year downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania, and told multinationals to sever ties with Lithuania or face being shut out of the Chinese market, after the opening of a representative office by Taiwan in Vilnius.
In response, the EU launched a challenge at the WTO, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that it says threaten the integrity of the EU single market.
The challenge was joined by the US, the UK and Australia.
Meanwhile, the National Institute for Cyber Security and the Lithuanian Innovation Agency on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that seeks to mutually boost the digital resilience of both nations.
The MOU was signed by Lithuanian Innovation Agency Director Romualda Stragiene and National Institute for Cyber Security head Ho Chuan-te (何全德) using an external communication adapter during a videoconference.
Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳), who was also present at the ceremony, said the use of the adapter marked a bilateral milestone as it was issued by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and recognized by Lithuania.
In addition to strengthening mutual digital resilience, the memorandum also aims to boost bilateral cooperation and talent exchanges, Tang said.
Tang said she hopes the MOU would advance tangible partnerships between the two nations, which are both on the frontline of opposing authoritarian regimes.
Tang met with Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite in January, when they exchanged ideas on topics such as satellite technology, cybersecurity and financial technology, which led to the MOU.
While Tang served as Taiwan’s observer at the ceremony, her counterpart was Lithuanian Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation Karolis Zemaitis.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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