Singapore has sent a special envoy to Taipei to deliver an invitation to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to attend this year’s leadership meeting of the APEC forum, political sources said on Monday.
The Singaporean envoy visited Taipei two weeks ago and is expected to visit again to learn who will represent Taiwan at the APEC summit scheduled for Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 in the city-state.
Because of China’s opposition, Taiwan’s president has traditionally been barred from attending the annual APEC summit and has had to name a proxy to attend on his behalf. Presenting the invitation to the president is considered a mere formality.
Former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) attended last year’s APEC summit in Peru on Ma’s behalf. He was the most senior former official to ever attend an APEC summit as the president’s envoy.
It will not be easy for Ma to name an envoy with stature higher than Lien to attend this year’s APEC meeting, one official said.
Pundits said the choice of this year’s representative at the APEC summit would be seen as a litmus test for cross-strait relations and represents a chance to strengthen Taiwan-US relations at a high level because Taiwan’s envoy will have the opportunity to meet US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
An official close to Ma, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was still too early to talk about who will serve as his envoy.
“Many elements should be factored in, including delicate changes in cross-strait ties, the operation of the new Cabinet to be formed in early September and Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] operations after Ma becomes party chairman in October,” the official said.
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
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS