DIPLOMACY
Sunak, Yoon ink accord
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the UK, underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in the Downing Street Accord signed on Wednesday. The UK and South Korea reiterated their commitment to “openness and transparency in the Indo-Pacific” and “emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged.” “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element in the security and prosperity of the international community,” the document said. The two countries “strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo” in the East and South China Seas, calling on the protection of freedom of navigation and overflight, it said, adding that the two leaders vowed to deepen cooperation on security issues in pursuit of regional and global stability.
DIPLOMACY
New state offices open
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official in charge of US affairs on Wednesday hailed the opening of four new representative offices in Taiwan by US states this year, saying it illustrates how the two countries are “ideal and reliable” partners. Speaking at an annual appreciation reception held by the American State Offices Association (ASOA) in Taipei, Wang Liang-yu (王良玉), head of the North American Affairs Department, said the offices opened by Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia represented the “breadth and depth” of the partnerships between Taiwan and US states. In addition, six US governors led trade missions in Taiwan and signed a wide range of agreements this year, she added. Meanwhile, Emily Scott, director of the Agricultural Trade Office under the American Institute in Taiwan, said there are now 17 ASOA members in Taiwan. When she first arrived there were only eight members, Scott said, adding that she was happy to have witnessed the growth firsthand. She also noted that Taiwan is a close US trade partner and the sixth-largest market for US agricultural products. The other US state offices and ASOA members are Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wyoming, while Guam also has an office in Taiwan.
SOCIETY
Unclaimed lottery tickets
Eight NT$10 million (US$317,007) and five NT$2 million winning receipts from the July-August invoice lottery remain unclaimed, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The eight-digit serial number that won the NT$10 million special prize in the lottery was 21981893, it said. Some of the unclaimed prize-winning NT$10 million receipts include a NT$26 receipt issued by a 7-Eleven in Hsinchu’s East District (東區), a NT$55 receipt issued by a drinks shop in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯) and a NT$60 purchase at a PX Mart in Changhua County’s Fenyuan Township (芬園). Meanwhile, five of the 16 NT$2 million grand prizes for receipts with the serial number 39597522 were also unclaimed, the ministry said. Unclaimed winning receipts include a NT$33 purchase issued by Apple’s App Store, a NT$85 receipt issued by MOS Burger in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), a NT$242 receipt issued by a 7-Eleven in Taoyuan’s Taoyuan District (桃園), a NT$1,573 receipt issued by a steakhouse in Taichung’s Nantun District (南屯) and a NT$190 receipt for a top-up at a FamilyMart in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港). Those with the receipts can claim their winnings until Jan. 5.
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
COMMUNITY SPIRIT: As authorities were busy with post-typhoon cleanups elsewhere, residents cleaned fallen leaves and cut small fallen trees blocking the hiking trails All hiking trails damaged by Typhoon Kong-rey have been repaired and has reopened for people who want a refreshing hike in Taipei during the Lunar New Year holiday, a city official said. The Taipei Basin is known for its easily accessible hiking trails. It has more than 130 trails combined into the 92km-long Taipei Grand Trail, which was divided into seven major routes when it was launched by the Taipei City Government in 2018. Last year, a part of the sixth route of the Grand Trail collapsed due to Typhoon Kong-rey, which hit Taiwan in October. The damaged section belongs to one
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