Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver who jumped from the top of Taipei 101 on Tuesday, has been barred from re-entering the country, National Immigration Agency Deputy Director Steve Wu (吳學燕) said yesterday in a news release.
Baumgartner arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 6, saying the purpose of his trip was "tourism," Wu said.
Wu said Baumgartner's parachute jump on Tuesday violated a clause in the Immigration Law (
"Baumgartner engaged in activities different from those he declared" when entering the country, Wu said.
After consultations with the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency, "we have decided to bar him from future entry into the country," Wu said.
Meanwhile, Taipei 101 has stepped up security checks.
"We have increased the frequency of patrols of the observation deck and are barring people from taking large bags to the observation deck," said Michael Liu (
Liu said the guards who failed to prevent Baumgartner from climbing over the 3m high railing on the observation deck would be disciplined.
"We will penalize the security personnel according to the measures outlined in our contract with the security firm," Liu told the Taipei Times, adding that the penalty had not yet been decided.
The 38-year-old Austrian daredevil -- who has parachuted off skyscrapers around the world -- said he had wanted to jump off Taipei 101 since it was completed in 2004.
"He prepared himself for one year," his spokeswoman in Vienna said.
With the help of colleagues, he hid his parachute inside the ceiling of a toilet on the 91st floor. He inspected the building's security system and the observation deck for five days, waiting for the right wind conditions.
On Tuesday, the weather conditions were right. Baumgartner had hired breakdancers to perform on the observation deck and two women to chat with the security guards to distract them.
He climbed over the railing on the upper deak, walked out onto a ledge and jumped, landing on the roof of a parking garage. He then ran to a waiting taxi, went to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and was on a flight to Hong Kong two hours later.
Local media said Taipei 101 officials did not know about the jump until two hours after it took place.
Taipei City police said they would file a charge of endangering public safety against Baumgartner. The charge carries a maximum prison term of five years.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS