Headline News
Taiwan hopes that Vatican-China deal can promote religious freedom
Taiwan hopes that the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops signed by the Holy See and China will enhance religious freedom in China and allow the Chinese Catholic Church to become an integral part of the universal Church.
The Holy See has reaffirmed to Taiwan that this agreement is not of a political or diplomatic nature, and will not affect the diplomatic ties in place for 76 years with Taiwan.
Rescue team and relief supplies to Sulawesi
Soon after Indonesia issued a call early Tuesday for rescue and relief assistance, the New Taipei Fire Department assembled a team of 36 rescue workers and six sniffer dogs for dispatch to assist in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Sulawesi.
Also Taiwan’s Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation will dispatch a medical team to the affected areas to provide health care services and has packed 10,000 blankets and other relief supplies for shipment the soonest to Sulawesi.
38 harbor cities sign joint declaration in Kaohsiung
Taiwan’s Harbor city Kaohsiung joined 37 harbor cities in signing a declaration to drive the momentum for economic growth of harbor cities, ensuring eco sustainability and to strengthen partnership among members for a more livable and resilient harbor city environment. The Global Harbor Cities Forum was held in Kaohsiung from Sept. 25 -27 with the participation of 5,500 people from 65 cities in the world.
National Day in The Hague
A crowded reception in celebration of the National Day of the ROC (Taiwan) in The Hague attracted around three hundred guests including Dutch dignitaries and representatives from the diplomatic, academic, business, cultural, media sector and Taiwanese community.
Ambassador Tom Chou briefed the audience on the latest achievements of Taiwan as a modern and industrialized country in diverse sectors including high-tech and manufacturing. Ranked as a top destination for expats with an excellent environment for foreign investors, Taiwan attracted leading companies including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Facebook for expanding or establishing their R&D centers.
Following the intensified US-China trade war and tendency of companies to relocate their businesses to Taiwan, the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands is ready to provide its services in case Dutch companies would harbor plans to follow suit.
Meanwhile the “Dutch fever” in Taiwan led to a growth in 2017 of 102% of Taiwan visitors (66,332) to the Netherlands with an expanded interest in the outstanding achievements in technology and education in the Netherlands, the “Dutch experience.”
World cyclist Jacky Chen makes a stop in The Hague
After biking for three years through 54 countries, world cyclist Jacky Chen made a stop in The Hague on his way to realize his goal of visiting 100 countries.
Chen was received at the city hall by Robert van Asten, Alderman Mobility, Culture and Strategy of The Hague, and lauded the bike paths in the Netherlands as the best he cycled on. Ambassador Tom Chou expressed his admiration for Chen’s physical and mental strength, tenacity and courage needed to take on such a challenging journey.
CinemAsia on Tour with Spotlight Taiwan Program
On 12, 13 and 14 October, NatLab in Eindhoven will be the place to be for Taiwanese award winning movies, animations, shorts and documentaries.
CinemAsia also offers a Taiwan Virtual Reality Experience, an Asian Futurism Dinner by Taiwanese bio-artists and an interactive Love Talk session.
For info: https://cinemasia.nl/nl
