British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) Director Michael Reilly stressed again yesterday the importance of cooperation between the UK and Taiwan in fighting climate change, showing European countries' great interest in, and expectations of, Taiwan.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the new BTCO office in Taipei's Xinyi District (
"The offices are a signal of our recognition of Taiwan's increasing importance, not just bilaterally, but on issues of global concern," he said. "While we may no longer have formal relations, the extent of our cooperation and links is greater now than at any time in history."
"Two-way trade thrives. Large numbers of young Taiwanese study at British universities. Taiwanese companies are major employers in the UK. British companies are active here in almost every sector, from petrochemicals through semiconductors and financial services to consumer retailing," he said.
British architect Lord Richard Rogers, who achieved fame for his prize-winning Pompidou Center in Paris in the 1970s, designed the BTCO's new offices and attended the opening to unveil a commemorative plaque.
Former Taiwanese representative to the UK, Edgar Lin (
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official