Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) has become the nation’s youngest ambassador without portfolio as she received a certificate of appointment from President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office yesterday.
Handing out certificates of appointment to 27 presidential advisers, 76 national policy advisers and 10 ambassadors-at-large, Lai thanked them for dedicating their wisdom and experience to serve in the honorary unpaid positions.
Diverse opinions from across the society should be incorporated into national policymaking to address challenges facing Taiwan, such as authoritarian expansion, climate change and digital transformation, Lai said, adding that ambassadors-at-large would help facilitate Taiwan’s international affairs.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Tai said she was happy to become an ambassador-at-large and hoped to improve Taiwan’s sports environment by personally nurturing the next generation of athletes.
Many overseas Taiwanese had cheered for her along with foreign friends at courtside, she said, adding that she would continue to bring Taiwan to the world.
While the list of new presidential and national policy advisers has been announced on the office’s Web site, the ambassadors-at-large were not unveiled until yesterday.
Aside from Tai, the other ambassadors include Taiwan Sport Forward Association founder Liu Po-chun (劉柏君), former minister of digital affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳), Holy Glory Temple (玉山寶光聖堂) chairman Wang Pao-tsung (王寶宗), Taiwanese medical diplomacy facilitator Wu Yung-tung (吳運東), Yam Digital Technology founder Chen Jen-ran (陳正然), Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy chairman Eugene Chien (簡又新) and Chi Mei Frozen Food Co chairman Richard Soong (宋光夫), and priests Fwuerah Butalu (芙厄阿．布達爾) and Pusin Tali (布興．大立).
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
RSS