CULTURE
Taichung to host Double Ten
The annual fireworks display on Double Ten National Day is to be held on Oct. 10 at Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港) in Taichung, Deputy Minister of the Interior Hua Ching-chun (花敬群) said yesterday. National Day and the fireworks display play an important role in unifying people and drawing international attention, Hua, secretary-general of the National Day Preparation Committee, said in a statement. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?), who chairs the National Day committee, have expressed their support for having Taichung serve as the venue this year, Hua said. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said it was the good fortune of Taichung residents to be able to watch the fireworks in person this year rather than on television.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
St Kitts gets YouBikes
The Taipei City Government yesterday announced the donation of 50 retired first-generation YouBikes to Saint Christopher and Nevis. The donation symbolized the firm friendship between Taiwan and the Caribbean country, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. He added that the city government is scheduled to launch a program allowing YouBike users to ride for free for the first 30 minutes. St Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Donya Francis said he was “excited” about the donation, which was indicative of the “strong and admirable friendship” between the two nations. The bicycles would be used as part of a local initiative to create a healthy lifestyle centered on healthy eating practices, consistent physical activity, and regular health checks and screenings, he said. Thanking Chiang and his administration, he said he looks forward to collaboration opportunities between the Embassy of St Christopher and Nevis in Taipei and the Taipei City Government.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Envoy reshuffle approved
The Cabinet has approved proposed reshuffle of diplomatic personnel, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Douglas Hsu (徐佑典), who heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ North American Affairs Department, is to replace Elliott Charng (常以立) as the representative to Australia, while Sharon Wu (吳尚年), head of the ministry’s International Organizations Department, is to head Taiwan’s office in Poland, replacing Bob Chen (陳龍錦), who is to become the envoy to Bahrain, the source said. Deputy Representative to the US Wang Liang-yu (王良玉) is to take over Hsu’s post, while Jonathan Sun (孫儉元), the top envoy in Boston, is to replace Wu. No specific dates were given when the new postings are to take effect.
POLITICS
Lee quits Yonghe race
Political commentator Lee Cheng-hao (李正皓) on Thursday night announced on Facebook that he has dropped his bid for a legislative seat in New Taipei City’s Yonghe District (永和). The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 24 announced that it was working with Lee, an independent, to secure a seat in the constituency. The decision drew objections from some DPP staffers, who urged the party’s nomination committee to reconsider, citing previous sexual allegations against Lee. Lee has denied the allegations, adding that a court has cleared him of the accusations. The DPP has become mired in discussion over a wave of allegations of sexual harassment, and his withdrawal would give DPP Chairman William Lai (賴清德) breathing room to resolve gender issues within the party, Lee said. DPP Secretary-General Hsu Li-ming (許立明) yesterday said the party respects Lee’s decision.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
MUST REMAIN FREE: A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would lead to a global conflict, and if the nation blows up, the world’s factories would fall in a week, a minister said Taiwan is like Prague in 1938 facing Adolf Hitler; only if Taiwan remains free and democratic would the world be safe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The ministry on Saturday said Corriere della Sera is one of Italy’s oldest and most read newspapers, frequently covers European economic and political issues, and that Wu agreed to an interview with the paper’s senior political analyst Massimo Franco in Taipei on Jan. 3. The interview was published on Jan. 26 with the title “Taiwan like Prague in 1938 with Hitler,” the ministry
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