A US government spokesperson on Wednesday said that Taiwan’s vulnerability to natural disasters was why a US representative office in Kaohsiung posted on social media encouraging people in Taiwan to prepare a “go bag” for emergencies.
The response came after a June 11 Facebook post by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Kaohsiung Branch sparked widespread discussion, with some speculating that the US might have intelligence suggesting China could be preparing to take military action against Taiwan.
In the post, the AIT Kaohsiung Branch shared tips on preparing a “go bag” with essentials such as important documents and a first aid kit.
Photo: screen grab from the American Institute in Taiwan Kaohsiung Branch’s Facebook page
An unnamed US Department of State spokesperson said the post was simply a reminder for people in Taiwan to prepare for natural disasters.
“Taiwan is located in a region prone to natural disasters. Whether it’s encouraging individual disaster preparedness for earthquakes or for typhoons, the United States supports Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience efforts,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mail in response to media queries.
Asked to comment, two former top AIT officials downplayed speculation that the post was a warning of an imminent military threat.
Brent Christensen, who led the AIT from summer 2018 to summer 2022, said he “would not interpret AIT Kaohsiung’s information on a ‘go bag’ for emergencies as anything significant.”
“This is just a restatement of a longstanding recommendation that US citizens living overseas be ready for any kind of emergency that would require them to evacuate quickly, whether it’s a major natural disaster, political instability or some other serious safety concern,” he said.
He added that overseas posts such as the AIT have some leeway to create their own messaging, as long as it aligns with US government policy.
Robert Wang, AIT deputy director from 2006 to 2009, said he had no idea why the Kaohsiung branch shared the information online and declined to speculate.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS