The US’ and Japan’s envoys to Taiwan yesterday highlighted the mutual assistance among the three sides in times of difficulty as they commemorated the disastrous 921 Earthquake that jolted central Taiwan 25 years ago.
In a video released yesterday, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama said that Taiwan, Japan and the US “are stronger” when they “unite together.”
The two officials said that when any of the three sides had been hit by natural disasters or health crises, the other two would quickly come to its aid by providing relief and sending rescue teams.
Photo courtesy of the AIT
They recounted events such as the earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale that struck central Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999, killing 2,456 people, injuring 10,718 and destroying thousands of buildings; and the massive earthquake in eastern Japan on March 11, 2011, which triggered tsunamis that triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
When COVID-19 swept across the world in 2020, Taiwan provided hundreds of thousands of protective masks to the US and Japan, both of which later donated vaccines to Taiwan when it faced shortages, they said.
The US, Japan and Taiwan are “strong partners” that “respect democracy and human rights,” and their close cooperation and mutual assistance have “further strengthened the ties” among the people from the three sides, Greene said.
Working hand in hand, the three sides could overcome the threats brought about by natural disasters and pandemics, Katayama said.
The AIT and the association represent their respective country’s interests in Taiwan and function as de facto embassies in the absence of formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.
Separately, President William Lai (賴清德) said at an event in Taichung to commemorate the 921 Earthquake that Taiwan has become an “important disaster rescue team” in the Asia-Pacific region and is capable of helping countries in need.
Right after the devastating incident, several countries, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Canada and the US, sent teams to Taiwan to help with rescue efforts, Lai said.
Taiwan received a lot of international help, but now it is capable of helping others, he said, adding that not only are Taiwanese search and rescue teams highly qualified, they also have 53 rescue dog with international certification.
In related news, an earthquake rocked Hualien County at 6:51pm yesterday, Central Weather Administration data showed.
The epicenter of the temblor was 29.4km north of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 17km, the data showed.
The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, was highest in Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale.
The quake measured 3 in parts of Yilan County, Nantou County and Taichung, the data showed.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries following the quake.
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