Taiwan will increase the resources available to help its four African allies become more self-reliant, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that the three main aims of the aid were improving agricultural production, medical and educational services.
In the spirit of teaching a man to fish instead of giving him fish, Department of African Affairs head Andrew Chang (張雲屏) said the emphasis of the aid would be to make communities self-reliant and sustainable.
He said the recent cross-strait detente allowed Taiwan to provide services that would genuinely benefit the people of these countries because the government could now take a more pragmatic approach to its relations with its African allies.
Describing the nation’s projects in Africa, Chang said a Taiwanese agricultural team was helping farmers in Sao Tome and Principe grow tropical fruit best suited to the climate, such as star fruit and guava, to sell to hotels.
Several Taiwanese hospitals have also been commissioned to provide medical services and training for health workers in the Africa. Chang said in the past MOFA had to rely on volunteers recruited from the International Cooperation and Development Fund, but the number of volunteers had not always been sufficient.
Taipei Medical University and Changhua Christian Hospital have been commissioned to oversee medical development in Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principle respectively.
The government has also commissioned National Taipei University of Technology and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to offer classes on technology for women in Gambia.
In other news, MOFA yesterday urged online shoppers and vendors to be vigilant of an Internet scam originating in Nigeria. Chang said at least four people had reportedly been conned by Nigerians who claimed they wanted to buy cellphones or iPods. Nigerian police have been notified and will look into the matter.
Chang also urged Taiwanese fishermen to abide by the laws of other countries when fishing in foreign seas after a Taiwanese fishing boat was fined US$160,000 last month. South African authorities discovered a large amount of fish and shark fins on the vessel.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three
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