The Belgian government for the first time has included language supportive of Taiwan in its coalition agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
The new Belgian coalition government, made up of five political parties, on Tuesday published its governing agreement, including the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and internationally recognized boundaries need to be respected, the agreement said.
Photo: screen grab from Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung’s Facebook page
The Belgian government is also looking to sign European investment agreements with nations in the region, it said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked Belgium for its support and its historic move.
The ministry also congratulated new Prime Minister Bart de Wever along with his Cabinet members, who took office on Monday last week.
The ministry hopes that Belgium and Taiwan would continue to enjoy friendly relations, deepen cooperation in various areas, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Taiwan looks forward to stronger ties between the people of the two nations, it said.
In other news, the embassy of Belize and the Central America Trade Office on Wednesday unveiled a lantern display modeled on the nation’s famous landmark, the Baron Bliss Lighthouse, at the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taoyuan.
The rain did not spoil the opening night of the festival on Wednesday, making it the most memorable lantern festival he had attended, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday morning on Facebook.
Lin met with Belizean Ambassador Candice Pitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Donya Francis and Central America Trade Office Director Hsu Shao-hui (徐韶慧) at the event.
Taoyuan last year inaugurated a sister-city partnership with Orange Walk Town, Belize, and Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang (張善政) and Orange Walk Town Mayor Ladrick Sheppard were also in attendance on Wednesday evening.
Belize’s display features the world’s deepest sinkhole, the Great Blue Hole, and the famous figure Isaiah Emmanuel Morter, the Central America Trade Office said in a statement.
Pitts said that she hoped Belize’s annual participation at the festival would help Taiwan to learn more about her nation’s history and strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations, adding that she was looking forward to future cultural exchanges.
Saint Kitts and Nevis collaborated with lantern artist Huang Wen-chuan (黃文全) on a display called Vibrant Folklore, showcasing the dual-island nation’s European colonial influence and rich cultural diversity.
People can visit Belize’s display at the Taoyuan High-Speed Rail station, where they have the opportunity to win prizes and gift packages.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
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Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
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