Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) late on Saturday departed for Europe on her first overseas trip since concluding her second term in office in May.
Following her departure for Prague before midnight, Tsai wrote on Facebook that she was heading to Europe to “convey Taiwanese people’s determination to safeguard democracy and freedom, and continue to deepen Taiwan-European relations.”
“While visiting Europe, I will attend the Forum 2000 Conference in the Czech Republic and give a speech to share Taiwan’s democratic experience. I want to combine the strength of like-minded international partners to jointly face the world’s severe challenges,” she said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Tsai is today to speak under the title “Overcoming Authoritarian Threat Through Democratic Unity” at the Forum 2000, which started yesterday in Prague and ends tomorrow, her office said.
The 28th annual Forum 2000 Conference is titled “Proving Democracy’s Resolve and Resilience.” Forum 2000 was founded in 1996 as a joint initiative of late Czech president Vaclav Havel, Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel.
Tsai spoke remotely at the annual forum during her presidency in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Taiwan’s representative office in the EU and Belgium on Thursday confirmed that in addition to attending Forum 2000, Tsai would also go to Brussels where she would visit the European Parliament and meet members of the assembly.
Tsai’s office has not officially confirmed the visit to the European Parliament or if she has plans to visit the UK during her trip.
A Guardian report on Saturday quoted unnamed sources as saying that the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office asked Tsai to postpone a UK visit to avoid angering Beijing ahead of British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy’s trip to China this week.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS