An exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations (WFTA) opened yesterday in Taipei, with President William Lai (賴清德) issuing a congratulatory message.
Founded in Vienna on Sept. 7, 1974, the WFTA is the largest Taiwanese organization abroad. Its mission calls for the determination of Taiwanese in asserting their identity, national sovereignty and democratic values.
This 50th anniversary exhibition, which first opened in Vienna, is on display at the National 228 Memorial Museum until Nov. 30.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
At the opening ceremony yesterday, presidential adviser Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) read Lai’s message, in which he said hoped the exhibition would reflect Taiwanese patriotism, reinforce the importance of national sovereignty and shine a light on the country’s future.
Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei (簡舒培) of the Democratic Progressive Party said in a speech that while Taiwanese can today travel, study abroad and return without issue, that was not the case 50 years ago.
During the authoritarian regime, students returning from overseas were closely monitored by the government, she said, adding that young people might not understand the struggles of previous generations.
She commended the WFTA for collecting historical records to remind visitors that today’s freedoms were not easily achieved.
The goal of the exhibition is to evoke the emotions of those who left Taiwan years ago and trace the history of the overseas Taiwanese movement, especially their efforts in promoting democracy in their homeland, the WFTA said.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
RSS