Foreign dignitaries, including visiting governors-general of Belize and Saint Lucia, yesterday enjoyed an array of Taiwanese delicacies at a National Day reception in Taipei, accompanied by President William Lai (賴清德), as part of the Republic of China (ROC) National Day celebrations.
During the event held at the Taipei Guest House, Lai and the visiting governors-general -- Dame Froyla Tzalam of Belize and Sir Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles of Saint Lucia -- enjoyed Taiwanese pork dishes and ice cream.
As host, the president presented each guest from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies with a cup of ice cream as he introduced them to Taiwanese cuisine.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
Lai told reporters that he gave Charles a cup of tea- flavored ice cream after learning that the Saint Lucian politician enjoys drinking tea.
In addition to food and beverages, the annual reception featured performances by two Taichung-based groups — MAD Theater and Eye Catching Circus — as well as Kaohsiung-based Bemove Dance Company, with music played by Louis and the Artistar Quintet.
Meanwhile, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) accompanied Raul Luis Latorre Martinez, president of Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies, at the reception, which featured popular Taiwanese dishes, including those from Moon Moon Food, a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee from Taipei.
A total of 212 foreign dignitaries took part in this year’s ROC National Day celebrations, including delegates from three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies -- Belize, Saint Lucia and Paraguay, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The guests include 138 members of visiting foreign delegations and 74 foreign representatives currently stationed in Taiwan, along with their spouses, the MOFA said in a statement.
Also attending the National Day celebrations and related events were a Swedish parliamentary delegation, participants in the European Valued Important Partnership Initiative, and a 28-member Taiwan-friendly Japanese parliamentary group, the ministry added.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS