All five special municipalities have suspended exchange activities with the Philippines amid heightened tension between the two countries over the fatal shooting of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成), 65, by the Philippine Coast Guard on Thursday last week.
Taipei, New Taipei City (新北市), Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung account for about 60 percent of Taiwan’s population.
Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), of the Democratic Progressive Party (DDP), said she fully supports the central government’s proposed political and economic sanctions, unless the Philippine government issues an official apology over the incident and compensates the victim’s family.
Greater Kaohsiung has sister-city ties with Cebu in the Philippines, to which the Kaohsiung City Government has given hundreds of used buses and fire engines over the years. The city government will now review that relationship, Chen said.
Calling the Philippine Coast Guard’s behavior an act that “bordered on a violent act by pirates,” Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), also of the DPP, on Monday announced the suspension of all exchanges with Greater Tainan’s five sister cities in the Philippines until Manila responds to Taiwan’s demands.
Taipei was the first municipality to suspend all bilateral activities with the Philippines on Saturday, when Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) announced that two Philippine cities would be uninvited to the city’s dragon boat race, which will take place next month. The capital’s plan to donate two ambulances to the Philippines was also put on hold, he added.
New Taipei City and Greater Taichung also suspended all exchanges and the donation of used ambulances and fire engines, with Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) saying on Monday he was suspending exchanges with sister city Makati, part of Metro Manila, and called on Greater Taichung residents not to go to the Philippines.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
RSS