■Health
Japan reaffirms support
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi reiterated yesterday Tokyo's support for Taiwan's participation in all activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) as an observer. Kawaguchi's comment came after the steering committee of the World Health Assembly (WHA) refused to put Taiwan's bid for observer status on the agenda. "Japan and Taiwan have shared close economic and personnel exchanges, so the Japanese government remains firm in its stance regarding the island country's bid to participate in all WHA activities as an observer," Kawaguchi told a news conference. Speaking at the WHA meeting, Japanese Vice Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Yoshio Kimura said a certain country has not obtained substantive assistance from the WHO in its fight against SARS, thus posing a great impact on its neighboring countries, including Japan.
■ Diplomacy
Africa Day event postponed
The African Day celebration originally scheduled for Friday evening has been postponed in light of the SARS outbreak in the country, according to Ambassador John Cummings of Liberia. The annual event was scheduled to be held at the Grand Formosa Regent in Taipei to commemorate the freedom and unity of African states. "We thank you [invited guests] for your kind understanding and please accept the assurance of our highest consideration," said Malawi Ambassador Eunice Kazembe, chairperson of the African Missions, in a statement. The event will be rescheduled depending on the development of the SARS outbreak, the organizers added.
■ Diplomacy
Envoy set for new role
National policy adviser Lee Tsai-fang (李在方), tipped as the new representative to South Korea, is due to sworn in tomorrow afternoon before taking up his post in Seoul by the end of this month, sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. "I'll leave for Seoul by the end of this month," Lee said prior to a round of intensive meetings at the ministry yesterday afternoon. His predecessor in Seoul, Lee Chung-ru (李宗儒), resigned last month and has been tipped as the new director-general of the ministry's Department of African affairs, the ministry said.
■ Politics
Fan Kuang-chun takes over
Provincial Governor Fan Kuang-chun (范光群) will serve as acting commissioner of Hualien County until a new government chief is elected in three months, Premier Yu Shyi-kun announced yesterday. Yu made the announcement during a visit to the eastern county to pay his respects to Hualien Commissioner Chang Fu-hsing (張福興) who died of lung cancer on Sunday. "As Fan will fulfill the functions of office on a provisional basis, there will not be any major policy shifts nor personnel changes during his stint," Yu said, adding that Fan's main missions will be handling by-election affairs and overseeing the prevention of SARS. Under the terms of the law, a by-election must be held in three months to elect a new commissioner to serve out the tenure left by Chang. Chang took office on Dec. 20, 2001 for a four-year term.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
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