■ DIPLOMACY
You Ching may go to Berlin
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator You Ching (尤清) has been tapped to serve as the nation's representative to Germany, Executive Yuan spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said. Shieh, who just ended a two-year stint as representative to Germany, took office as Executive Yuan spokesman and Government Information Office minister on Monday. You earned a doctoral degree in law from Germany's Heidelberg University, Shieh said, adding that his formation of a good social network during his study in Germany was sure to help him. You has been a Control Yuan member, a National Chengchi University associate professor, a Presidential Office national policy adviser and an ambassador-at-large.
■ AGRICULTURE
Produce labels to ease fears
The first batch of Taiwan-grown tomatoes labeled with "produce traceability" recently entered the market, Council of Agriculture (COA) officials said yesterday. The officials said that the tomatoes were cultivated on a farm in Taichung County with the assistance of the council's research center in central Taiwan. Given growing concern among consumers about the hygiene standards of agricultural products, quality inspection labeling on the packaging of such products has become a global trend, the officials said, adding that this was why council Chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) made implementing the "produce traceability" system his top priority when he assumed his post in January last year. The council's efforts in this regard have borne fruit, with more Taiwanese produce bearing "produce traceability" labels.
■ POLITICS
Farmers' party founded
The Taiwan Farmers' Party was established yesterday in Kaohsiung County, with the aim of better representing the rights and interests of local farmers and fishermen, party officials said. Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) attended the ceremony and congratulated Yang Cheng-chi (楊政治), chief of the Kaohsiung Farmers' Association, who was chosen as party chairman by representatives from local farmers' and fishermen's associations across the country. Addressing the ceremony, Yang Chiu-hsing said he was happy to see such a party established -- the first of its kind dedicated to grassroots farmers and fishermen in the country. Yang Chiu-hsing said he hoped that the new party could help the government work out sound policies to attend to the needs of farmers and fishermen. For his part, Yang Cheng-chi said that the party, as a representative of grassroots workers, would work hard to win public recognition.
■ DIPLOMACY
Ties with Nicaragua steady
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said yesterday that diplomatic relations with Nicaragua were stable. Huang made the remarks after presiding over a swearing-in ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of new officials and representatives of overseas offices. Commenting on media reports that relations between Taiwan and Nicaragua were shaky, Huang said that given current difficulties, he could not guarantee that relations with every ally would be problem-free. "Taiwan has limited resources and cannot compete with China's checkbook diplomacy," he said. "What we can do is to be on guard and do everything possible to cement ties with our allies," he said, adding that "Taiwan's relations with Nicaragua are solid at present."
■ JUSTICE
Dog owner sentenced
A Taipei County man was sentenced to 30 days in detention for an injury his dog caused to a passerby, Taipei District Court officials said on Wednesday. The 57-year-old dog owner, surnamed Wu, did not have his door completely closed on Jan. 17, when his dog, unleashed and unmuzzled, ran out on to the street and attacked a passing woman. The court ruled that Wu should have been aware that dogs can be aggressive in certain situations, and that owners should leash their dogs or muzzle them to prevent their animals from assaulting others. The sentence may be commuted to a fine at a rate of NT$1,000 per day.
■ POLITICS
Mayor dismisses allegation
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who once served as secretary-general of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, yesterday dismissed an allegation that the organization had embezzled funds from its government-allotted budget over the past 20 years. Hau, who served as Red Cross Society secretary-general between April 2005 and February, said he had seen to it during his stint that all income and expenses were audited by certified public accountants, making embezzlement impossible at the public-interest organization. Hau termed it as "immoral" that certain people had "fabricated a wholly untrue story" accusing Red Cross Society management of misusing funds allocated to the organization from government coffers. He was referring to a report by the Chinese-language China Times yesterday that quoted Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋) as saying that Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) told him recently that an investigation conducted by ministry officials had discovered that the Red Cross Society had misused government subsidies over the past 20 years and that the ministry would work to retrieve the money.
SEND A MESSAGE: Sinking the amphibious assault ship, the lead warship of its class, is meant to show China the US Navy is capable of sinking their ships, an analyst said The US and allied navies plan to sink a 40,000-tonne ship at the latest Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise to simulate defeating a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan. This year’s RIMPAC — the 29th iteration of the world’s largest naval exercise — involves the US, 28 partners, more than 25,000 personnel, 40 warships, three submarines and more than 150 aircraft operating in and around Hawaii from yesterday to Aug. 1, the US Navy said in a press release. The major components of the event include multidomain warfare exercises in multiship surface engagements, anti-submarine warfare and multi-axis defense of a carrier strike
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
The airspace around Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) is to be closed for an hour on July 25 and July 23 respectively, due to the Han Kuang military exercises, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The annual exercise is to be held on Taiwan proper and its outlying islands from July 22 to 26. During last year’s exercise, the military conducted anti-aircraft landing drills at the Taoyuan airport for the first time, for which a one-hour no-fly ban was issued. Based on a live-fire bulletin sent out by the Maritime and Port Bureau, the nation’s
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of