US House of Representatives members have proposed a bill that requires the US secretary of state to develop a strategic approach to secure Taiwan's membership in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Led by Republican Representative Lance Gooden, the "Taiwan Interpol Endorsement and Inclusion Act" is cosponsored by lawmakers across party lines, including Democrats Brad Sherman and Ted Lieu, and Republicans Pete Sessions and Tom Tiffany, according to a statement by Gooden.
The lawmakers said that it was a strategic necessity to include Taiwan in international crime-fighting efforts amid ongoing global threats and the practical drawbacks that Taiwan faces due to being excluded from full membership in Interpol, the statement said.
Photo: CNA
Gooden said Taiwan's "proven" global crime-fighting capabilities are deserving of full membership in Interpol and that its inclusion would "fill a gap in the global security network and reinforce the effectiveness of international law enforcement cooperation."
The bill would require the secretary of state, within 90 days of the bill's passage, to work with Interpol Washington and report to Congress on a strategy to support Taiwan's bid for observer or membership status in appropriate international organizations.
Taiwan has been excluded from Interpol since China's admission as a member in 1984, despite continued requests to participate in the Interpol General Assembly as an observer.
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