The secretary-general of the Presidential Office heading a delegation to the US highlights the importance President William Lai (賴清德) attaches to the visit, the strategic plans behind proposed investments and an attempt to deepen US-Taiwan ties, a Presidential Office source said on Monday.
Taiwan in March signed a letter of intent with the US on investing in natural gas extraction in Alaska, which, coupled with Lai’s statement that securing Taiwan’s energy supply through US purchases, highlights the prominence the president regards such issues, the source said.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) last week attended the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Pan told the conference in a speech that Taiwan is a responsible member of the international community, able and willing to contribute to the development of artificial intelligence and the reindustrialization of the US.
Prior to his departure for the US, Pan was told by Lai to “establish efficient channels of negotiations while upholding Taiwan’s national interests,” the source said.
It is rare for the Presidential Office’s secretary-general to head a delegation on behalf of the president or the government, they said.
Coupled with the attendance of Japanese Vice Minister for International Affairs Matsuo Takehiko and South Korean Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Ho-hyeon, Lai tapping Pan to head the delegation underscored the president’s emphasis on the conference, the source said.
A high-profile reception for the Taiwanese delegation — attended by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Dan Sullivan — indicated Washington’s interest in pursuing collaborations, the source added.
The collaboration to extract natural gas in Alaska shows that Taiwan, the US, Japan and South Korea are seeking to enhance the security, peace and stability in the first island chain by stepping up energy partnerships, they added.
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
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A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
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