Headline News
EU and U.S. voice support for Taiwan’s participation in WHA
The 28-member European Union voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting.
“The European Union, generally speaking, supports practical solutions regarding Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks,” including the WHA and the World Health Organization (WHO) said Maja Kocijanic, spokesperson for the EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, when asked about Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHA annual convention from 21 – 26 May.
“The United States strongly supports Taiwan participation as an observer in the WHA. We are greatly dismayed that China has once again blocked Taiwan from receiving an invitation to attend. Taiwan is committed to global health security and has made important contributions to public health and development, and the United States believes that Taiwan should not be excluded from these critical decisions,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.
President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan is part of the global health community and will continue to contribute its expertise and experience to the international community, in spite of being prevented from attending the upcoming WHA meeting.
Australia and United States tell Beijing to stop Taiwan intimidation
“The terms that private companies choose to list destinations are a matter for them. There should be no pressure from governments, whether ours or others, that threatens the ordinary operations of business,” said Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in response to a letter from the Chinese civil authorities.
In the letter, sent to 36 foreign airlines, it is demanded that the carriers remove Taiwan from the list of countries on their websites or other materials.
A similar response came from the White House in Washington DC. “This is Orwellian nonsense and part of a growing trend by the Chinese communist party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies,” said White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders, adding that the United States government asked China to “stop threatening and coercing American carriers and citizens.”
International Federation of Journalists stages annual meeting in Taipei
For the first time, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) held its annual meeting from 11 – 13 May in Taipei City. Attended by more than 40 journalists and union representatives from more than 20 countries, it was also the first IFJ meeting ever being held in Asia. Issues discussed included international threats to free speech, independence and safety.
IFJ President Philippe Lenuth praised the media environment, journalists’ unions and press freedoms in Taiwan and said that Taiwan provides an example for other countries to follow.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Wu welcomed the journalists and said that Taiwan remains steadfastly committed to ensuring journalists operate in an open and safe media environment.
Economics & Culture
Taiwan exports up 10% in April
Data compiled by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) showed exports in April rose 10 percent from a year earlier to US$26.73 billion, marking the second consecutive month with a year-on-year increase in outbound sales after a 16.7 percent increase seen in March.
Taiwan’s imports also grew 4.9 percent year-on-year in April to US$22.58 billion, yielding a trade surplus of US$4.15 billion, up US$1.38 billion from a year earlier, the data showed.
EYE Filmmuseum presents King Hu
EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam presents from 30 may to 9 June a selection of movies from the influential Taiwan film director King Hu, who brought new technical and artistic heights into the Asian cinema.
The Taiwan Film Institute has recently restored three major works by King Hu, now to be seen in EYE for the first time in their entire splendor.
A Touch of Zen won the Technical Grand Prize award at the Cannes Film Festival, Legend of the Mountain won the Best Director and Best Art Direction Award during the presentation of the 16th Golden Horse Awards. Dragon Inn was an outright blockbuster with a major influence on cinema.
There will be 12 screenings of 7 movies in total.
