Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon for a five-day visit to promote tourism to his country, becoming the first head of state to visit the nation since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.
The visit also came as a COVID-19 “travel bubble” is to form between Taiwan and Palau, with the first tour group to depart from Taipei on Thursday.
Whipps and his delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 3:50pm and were greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) at the boarding gate.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
US Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland is a member of the delegation.
In a brief speech at the airport, Whipps said they are excited and ready to launch the “travel corridor,” or “sterile corridor,” between Palau and Taiwan — which he believes would be the first between a “COVID-19-free” and a “COVID-19-safe” country.
The link is only possible because of the incredible work that the Taiwanese government has done over the past year in containing the virus, keeping its people safe from COVID-19, he said, adding the Palauan Ministry of Health has also been diligent, and a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) team determined that Palau was truly COVID-19-free when it visited the country.
“We trust what Taiwan has done is an example of a successful country in combating COVID-19. We feel now that we can work together and feel safe,” he said. “We trust each other, and I think this is the basis of this sterile corridor.”
Whipps would travel with the first Taiwanese tour groups to visit Palau under the “travel bubble.”
Separately yesterday, asked about the disease prevention measures prepared for the Palauan delegation in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the spokesman of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said the delegation provided negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results from within three days of boarding their flight, so they did not need testing after landing.
Whipps and his delegation would use a separate door, elevator and dining area in the hotel where they are staying, and thermometers and alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been prepared for them, he added.
The CECC has also suggested that they wear masks at all times, practice social distancing, record all their close contacts, and avoid contact with local residents, he said, adding that their traffic routes have been planned out in advance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff would accompany them throughout the visit.
They would receive a PCR test before leaving Taiwan, Chuang added.
In related news, the CECC yesterday reported two imported cases of COVID-19, both Philippine migrant workers.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan and Lin Hui-chin
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
NEW GEAR: On top of the new Tien Kung IV air defense missiles, the military is expected to place orders for a new combat vehicle next year for delivery in 2028 Mass production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles is expected to start next year, with plans to order 122 pods, the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) latest list of regulated military material showed. The document said that the armed forces would obtain 46 pods of the air defense missiles next year and 76 pods the year after that. The Tien Kung IV is designed to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to an altitude of 70km, compared with the 60km maximum altitude achieved by the Missile Segment Enhancement variant of PAC-3 systems. A defense source said yesterday that the number of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
Taiwanese exports to the US are to be subject to a 20 percent tariff starting on Thursday next week, according to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday. The 20 percent levy was the same as the tariffs imposed on Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by Trump. It was higher than the tariffs imposed on Japan, South Korea and the EU (15 percent), as well as those on the Philippines (19 percent). A Taiwan official with knowledge of the matter said it is a "phased" tariff rate, and negotiations would continue. "Once negotiations conclude, Taiwan will obtain a better
RSS