The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday would not confirm a report that the US Department of State has requested that US Marines be posted at the AIT’s new complex in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).
“As is the practice at our current location, a small number of American personnel detailed to AIT along with a larger number of locally-hired employees will provide security for the new office building in cooperation with the local authorities,” an AIT official said in a text message to the Central News Agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A CNN report on Friday cited two unnamed US officials as saying that a request for a US Marine Corps security detachment was received several weeks ago, but has not been formally approved.
Coordination about its deployment is ongoing between the state department’s Diplomatic Security Service and the marines, the sources were cited as saying.
When asked about the matter at a news conference the same day, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang (陸慷) said that Beijing’s “one China” principle is the political foundation of China-US relations, and that Washington should abide by its “one China” pledge and refrain from developing any official ties or engaging in military exchanges with Taiwan.
The AIT office is expected to officially relocate from Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) to the new facility in fall.
Posting marines at the new AIT compound in Taipei would signal warmer relations between the US and Taiwan.
Such a move by the US would carry “more political than military significance,” said Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at National Chung Cheng University’s Institute of Strategic and International Affairs.
Marines are usually posted only at official US facilities overseas, Lin said, adding that a detachment at the new AIT complex could be seen as a show of the importance attached by the US to Taiwan and a political signal to China.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
RSS