New Saint Lucian Ambassador to Taiwan Robert Kennedy Lewis said he would work to bolster ties in the fields of agriculture and education.
Lewis, who presented his credentials to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Thursday last week, said his country would seek to continue its collaboration with Taiwan in agriculture, especially through the introduction of technology to Saint Lucian farms “to give our farmers more help in acquiring the machinery and tools needed in modern agricultural practice.”
Agriculture is critical to the economy of Saint Lucia, as the Caribbean country is a big producer and exporter of bananas, and Taiwan’s help in sustaining that industry is always appreciated, Lewis said in an e-mail on Wednesday on in response to queries from the Central News Agency.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
With Taiwan’s help, Saint Lucia has increased the yields of many fruits and vegetables, especially watermelons and pineapples, Lewis said, adding that Taiwan has helped introduce the cultivation of wax apples.
With the expertise and technology available in Taiwan, Saint Lucia expects to increase the production of fruit and vegetables, while introducing crops that can thrive in the tropical climate to add to food security, he said.
“Through education, we can make Saint Lucia’s agriculture industry stronger and more reliant,” he said. “Hence, I will, through diplomatic efforts, solicit more training and scholarships in agriculture for our people.”
There are about 120 Saint Lucian students studying engineering, agriculture-related fields, and business and entrepreneurial services, Lewis said, adding that he expects this number to quadruple over the next three to four years.
“I am confident with my training and background in education, the increasing demand for scholarships for higher and further studies among Saint Lucians, and the assistance of our friends here in Taiwan, especially in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that we will reach that target,” he said.
Other fields of study that are likely to gain popularity among Saint Lucian students, are medicine and other medical-related areas, and digital media, he said.
Aside from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Lewis said that there must also be opportunities for technical and vocational training, opportunities he vowed to pursue over the next three years.
Describing the relationship between Saint Lucia and Taiwan, Lewis said: “We both believe in self-determination and the need for our citizens to choose how they are governed.”
Saint Lucia intends to continue to voice and express its support for Taiwan at every given opportunity in every domestic and international forum, he said.
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS