Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Friday completed his European trip in Vienna, where he attended a concert by Representative to Austria Liu Suan-yung (劉玄詠) at the Viennese Music Association’s Brahms Saal.
Lin attended the concert in a “private” capacity, and met with representatives from business, politics and the cultural industry at a reception before the concert, Austrian public broadcaster ORF and daily Die Presse reported.
Representatives include members of the Austrian parliament from the People’s Party, Neos and the Green Party, as well as the ambassadors of Japan and the Czech Republic, Die Presse reported.
Photo: Ling Mei-hsueh, Taipei Times
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) had visited Austria earlier this month and met with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen, and Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger. Lin’s visit took place less than a week after Wang’s departure from the Austrian capital.
Lin’s trip was the first visit by a high-ranking Taiwanese official in decades, and he attended a concert by Liu, a well-known trombonist who had studied in Vienna, ORF reported.
The concert, titled “When East Meets West,” was part of the “Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025” initiative launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture earlier this year.
Photo: Ling Mei-hsueh, Taipei Times
In addition to Liu, Vienna Philharmonic trombonist Dietmar Kublbock, Vienna Symphony trombonist Walter Voglmayr, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna professor Otmar Gaiswinkler and Hakka bayin troupes performed at the event.
Hsinchu County Commissioner Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) traveled to Vienna with three Hakka bayin musical troupes — TienWu BeiGuan BaYin Troupe (田屋北管八音團), Hsinchu Beipu Bayin Troupe (新竹北埔八音團) and BrassMen (銅好重奏團).
Lin wanted to keep a low profile about his itinerary beforehand to avoid China’s intervention, but Beijing still exerted “strong pressure” on Austrian authorities before the concert to limit his visibility, Die Presse reported.
The Austrian government emphasized the “purely private nature” of Lin’s trip, Die Presse reported.
Lin did not meet with Austrian government officials, but his presence was enough to irritate Beijing, it reported.
The concert in Vienna served as a “soft diplomatic offensive” for Taiwan, it added.
Additional reporting by Ling Mei-Hsueh
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS