Taiwan and Germany yesterday morning inked an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation, with the first German federal Cabinet minister to visit Taiwan in 26 years presiding over the ceremony.
Representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) and German Institute Taipei Director-General Jorg Polster signed the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement (STA) at the National Science and Technology Council in Taipei.
The signing was overseen by German Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger, who arrived yesterday morning for a two-day visit.
Photo: AFP / National Science and Technology Council
The STA focuses on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, lithium batteries and hydrogen for use in green energy, council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said.
It also seeks to cultivate talent, in particular Chinese-language education for German students, he said, adding that it would enable more exchange opportunities for young people.
Wu also hailed the “historic” visit by the German minister, saying that it shows Taiwan is a realiable partner.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
When he invited Stark-Watzinger to visit Taiwan during his trip to Germany in November last year, Wu said he never thought she would make it happen within a mere four months.
This shows that Europe — especially Germany — now views Taiwan in a new light, as a free democracy that respects human rights, he said.
Given their strengths in science and technology, Taiwan and Germany complement each other, Wu said.
The STA would set the stage for success, he said, crediting it to the hard work of Taiwan’s 23 million people.
Taiwan is a respected partner in technological research, Stark-Watzinger said, adding that global challenges must be faced together with like-minded countries.
Taiwan and Germany share the values of democracy, transparency, openness and freedom, and have already enjoyed many years of cooperation in various technical fields, she said.
Their complementary technological advantages provide plenty of space for further cooperation, she said.
The new STA would pave the way for more extensive cooperation in economic innovation and high-tech research to the benefit of both sides, she added.
Stark-Watzinger is the first German Cabinet minister to visit Taiwan in 26 years, following a visit by then-German minister of economics Gunter Rexrodt in 1997.
Yesterday afternoon, Stark-Watzinger led her delegation of 14 to visit National Taiwan University.
The delegation is to visit the Siemens training center at Nangang Vocational High School in Taipei this morning, and later meet with Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) to exchange views on Chinese-language education and semiconductor academies.
In the afternoon, they are to visit the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute in Hsinchu before leaving for the airport.
‘TAIWAN-FRIENDLY’: The last time the Web site fact sheet removed the lines on the US not supporting Taiwanese independence was during the Biden administration in 2022 The US Department of State has removed a statement on its Web site that it does not support Taiwanese independence, among changes that the Taiwanese government praised yesterday as supporting Taiwan. The Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, produced by the department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, previously stated that the US opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.” In the updated version published on Thursday, the line stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence had been removed. The updated
‘CORRECT IDENTIFICATION’: Beginning in May, Taiwanese married to Japanese can register their home country as Taiwan in their spouse’s family record, ‘Nikkei Asia’ said The government yesterday thanked Japan for revising rules that would allow Taiwanese nationals married to Japanese citizens to list their home country as “Taiwan” in the official family record database. At present, Taiwanese have to select “China.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the new rule, set to be implemented in May, would now “correctly” identify Taiwanese in Japan and help protect their rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The statement was released after Nikkei Asia reported the new policy earlier yesterday. The name and nationality of a non-Japanese person marrying a Japanese national is added to the
AT RISK: The council reiterated that people should seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, after Beijing passed 22 guidelines to punish ‘die-hard’ separatists The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview. On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia. The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
RSS