DIPLOMACY
Eswatini ties stable: Lin
Diplomatic relations with Eswatini remain “stable,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday in response to reports that the nation’s only African ally is pivoting toward China. Taiwan’s relations with Eswatini are “stable” and “solid,” Lin told reporters at a ceremony in Taipei, dismissing media speculation. Lin said Eswatini’s King Mswati III visited the nation in May to attend President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration, which was followed by the signing of a joint statement reaffirming bilateral ties. In addition, the two countries have developed “wide” and “multifaceted” collaborations over the past 56 years in areas such as medicine, agriculture and communications, Lin said. Lin’s comments came a few days after Semafor Africa cited the Eswatini business community as reporting that the kingdom’s authorities were thawing relations with Beijing, in line with the increasing presence of Chinese businesses in the country.
DEFENSE
Pilot leaves hospital
An air force pilot who ejected to safety from a Mirage 2000 jet that later crashed was discharged from hospital yesterday. Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun (謝沛勳), who is now able to move around on his own, left Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital at 9:40am, accompanied by his family. The contusions and bruises on his neck and waist have greatly improved, but follow-up treatment is still advised, doctors said. Hsieh, who was rescued from the waters off Hsinchu County’s coast on Tuesday night, has been cleared of aspiration pneumonia after an X-ray examination, the hospital said. The incident took place at 8:05pm on Tuesday, when Hsieh’s aircraft lost power over waters off Hsinchu County. Hsieh has logged 795 flight hours, including 509 hours with the Mirage 2000, the air force said.
SOCIETY
Teacher suspended
A preschool teacher in Taichung has been suspended following accusations of student mistreatment, the city government said on Thursday. The teacher at a preschool in Nantun District (南屯) is under investigation for allegedly causing multiple bruises on a child on Sept. 2, government officials said in a news release. The parents of the child filed a complaints with a city councilor and the city’s Education Bureau on Sept. 3. Statements by the parents and surveillance footage appeared to show the teacher pinching the boy’s cheeks and grabbing him by the upper arm to drag him into the classroom, causing bruises on his neck and chest. Although the teacher admitted to her actions, the parents said the preschool was too lenient with the teacher.
FOOD
Peracetic acid use eased
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended a regulation to allow food industry operators the option to use peracetic acid as a cleanser in ready-to-eat fresh produce. The inclusion of peracetic acid in the Sanitation Standard for Food Cleansers comes after referencing international practices and other relevant safety assessments, the FDA said in a news release on Thursday. Peracetic acid, also known as peroxyacetic acid or PAA, is a type of oxidizing agent that is used in numerous applications, including as a chemical disinfectant in healthcare and as a sanitizer to control water quality in aquaculture. Prior to the amendment, sodium chlorite solutions, chlorine dioxide, hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite were the only four industrial chemical agents permitted for use as cleansers in ready-to-eat raw food in the nation, Food Safety Division head Tsai Shu-jean (蔡淑貞) said.
Peracetic acid was originally used for disinfecting containers or packages that come in direct contact with food, but local industry operators requested that its use be expanded, Tsai said. Food cleansers are primarily used in fresh vegetables and fish that can be consumed uncooked, such as salads, sashimi or fruits sold in supermarkets and restaurants, she said. The addition of peracetic acid will give operators a new option for disinfecting raw edible food, as this oxidizing agent typically evaporates without leaving any residue, the FDA said. However, if residue does remain, it must not exceed 1 part per million (ppm), as stipulated in the revised food cleanser regulation that came into effect on Thursday, it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by