Hello Taiwan, an international nonprofit organization, yesterday called for support for a proposal to rename Taiwan’s overseas offices as “Taiwan representative offices,” replacing the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Office” format.
The New York-based organization, founded by Taiwanese-
Americans in 2010, promotes Taiwan’s international visibility and fosters cultural and economic ties with democratic partners.
Photo: Fang Wei-li, Taipei Times
Organization chairman Ming Chiang (江明信) cited past initiatives, including lobbying for 2.5 million vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic and collaborating with the New York Mets to distribute Taiwan-themed jerseys at the team’s Taiwan Heritage Day in 2024.
Chiang said he accompanied San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones during her visit to Kaohsiung, where a trilateral memorandum of understanding was signed on Friday last week with sister cities Kaohsiung and Kumamoto, Japan.
He cited the proposed Taiwan Representative Office Act introduced by US Senator John Curtis and remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as evidence of political support in the US.
Rubio, then a senator, last year sponsored legislation to rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) as the Taiwan Representative Office.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who attended the event, said inconsistencies between office signage and official Web sites using “Taiwan” creates confusion.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ use of the abbreviation “TECO” for overseas offices is easily misunderstood, he said.
Citing passport redesigns, Chung said Taiwanese society has shown resilience in embracing the name “Taiwan,” and that overseas offices should follow suit.
Hello Taiwan member Wu Hsin-tai (吳欣岱) said the current naming system reflects a legacy of authoritarian rule and no longer matches Taiwan’s international engagement.
The terminology often causes confusion in areas such as security and judicial cooperation, increasing the workload of Taiwanese diplomats, she said.
In some countries, law enforcement authorities interpret “Taipei” as referring to a local city rather than a national entity, which can complicate efforts by Taiwanese when seeking assistance abroad, particularly during emergencies, Wu added.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS