2863312026/09/24Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung conferred the Grand Medal of Diplomacy on David Steinke, outgoing head of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, Sept. 22 in the capital in honor of his contributions to Taiwan-Czechia ties.
 
The minister underscored the thriving exchanges between Taiwan and Czechia during Steinke’s four-year term, citing the launch of direct flights between Taipei and Prague in July 2023 and the Taiwan-Czech Resilience Program on joint semiconductor research in June 2024.
 
Lin said he and Steinke jointly hosted two delegations headed by Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and First Deputy Speaker Jiří Drahoš to Taiwan. Their visits not only helped enhance the democratic partnership but also promoted expanded exchanges between Taiwan and European like-minded countries, the minister added.
 
In addition, the minister visited Czechia twice during the same period and engaged in in-depth, candid and constructive discussions with officials, he said, adding that the visits also boded well for further expansion of the two-way ties.
 
In response, Steinke said he was honored to receive the medal. He recalled an interview with local media at the start of his term, in which he listed the direct flights, exhibition of National Palace Museum treasures in Prague and semiconductor cooperation as top priorities.
 
The representative said he is pleased that all the goals have been achieved. He added that he will miss Taiwan, saying that he will always remember the warmth of the people and the way the society blends tradition and technology. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2863352026/09/24President Lai Ching-te received a delegation from the Japan Innovation Party’s Public-Private Cooperation Association Sept. 22 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. The group was led by House of Representatives member Seiji Maehara and included House of Representatives members Ryohei Iwatani, Joji Uruma and Kei Hagihara. 
 
Lai noted that in recent years China has continued to conduct military activities, gray-zone aggression and transnational repression against countries in the East China Sea, South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. He stated that democracies like Taiwan and Japan must unite to enhance self-defense capability and safeguard regional peace and prosperity.
 
Lai expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for continued support on cross-strait issues and its advocation for Taiwan’s international participation. He thanked the JIP for advocating practical measures in security cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. The president further anticipated expanding cooperation in strategic industries’ supply chain resilience including semiconductors and unmanned aerial vehicles to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
  
Maehara noted that Japan and Taiwan shared values of democracy, freedom and respect for the rule of law. Both countries maintain that deterrence is vital to ensure that the status quo is not unilaterally changed.
 
Maehara lauded Taiwan’s leading position in artificial intelligence and semiconductor industries and anticipated strengthened cooperation and exchange in both sectors. The delegation sought to gain insight into public-private partnerships and private finance initiatives in Taiwan.
(POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2863072026/09/23President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan looked forward to working with ally Eswatini and other like-minded countries within the framework of the World Alliance for Disaster Management to enhance prevention, response and resilience.
 
Lai made the remarks while receiving a delegation led by Eswatini’s Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla Sept. 22 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. Dladla attended the launch of the WADM Sept. 19 in the capital, the PO said.
 
The president first expressed his gratitude to King Mswati III and Queen Mother Ntfombi for welcoming him to Eswatini in May. He particularly thanked Dladla for personally accompanying him and his delegation to ensure a smooth journey.
 
Lai further stated that in the face of extreme climate and other challenges, it is vital to share experiences and integrate resources to forge a more robust disaster prevention and rescue mechanism.
 
In response, Dladla said the 58-year bond between Taiwan and Eswatini is akin to familial ties, and described ways that Taiwan has helped its ally, including through expanded cooperation in sectors spanning energy security, industrial development, innovation, investment, mining, technology transfers and skills development.
 
According to the PO, she also voiced appreciation for Taiwan’s long-standing support of Eswatini’s agriculture, education and medicine, with a particular mention of the electrification program in rural areas. (POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2863052026/09/23Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted Palau Vice President and Minister of Health and Human Services Raynold B. Oilouch and Mrs. Oilouch Sept. 22 in Taipei City to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
 
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the VP and his wife are in Taiwan to attend the launch of the World Alliance for Disaster Management which took place three days previously.
 
Lin visited the Pacific ally last December as head of a trade delegation and again last month when he attended the 55th Pacific Islands Forum. He said he engaged in discussion with the VP and appreciated the warm and deep friendship between the two countries.
 
The minister thanked the Palau government for facilitating Taiwan’s PIF participation and welcomed the two sides to continue cooperation under the Taiwan government’s Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project.
 
In particular, Lin said the government is committed to assisting with the Belau National Hospital’s relocation and other major projects to facilitate the ally’s health and medical care development. He expressed appreciation to the VP for supporting Taiwan’s international participation, including speaking up for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly.
 
In response, Oilouch thanked the minister for his hospitality and said this visit  was his fourth to Taiwan in a year and reflected his passion for the country. Facing such climate change challenges as droughts, Palau will continue to work with Taiwan to enhance its disaster mitigation and management capability, climate adaption and social resilience, he added. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2862812026/09/22A workshop on connecting critical supply chains with logistics hubs was staged under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework Sept. 17 in Prishtina, Kosovo.
 
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event was jointly organized by the Taipei Representative Office in Hungary, the Embassy of the United States in Kosovo and the University of Prishtina, and was the first GCTF workshop to be held in Kosovo.
 
Representatives from the three countries’ academic, business and political sectors gathered to discuss Taiwan’s key position in global supply chain resilience and experience in transforming itself from a manufacturing center into a global high-tech hub, as well as Kosovo’s role in regional logistics and how the partners can work together to promote secure and diverse supply chains.
 
Elliot Wang, Taiwan’s top diplomat in Hungary, said in his opening remarks that supply chain resilience is critical to global economic security and long-term prosperity. Overreliance on a single source may lead to supply chain disruption and become a weapon of economic coercion, he said, stressing the importance of building a diverse, secure and trusted supply chain network for democratic partners.
 
Given Taiwan’s central role in advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence and high-tech supply chains, the country is ready to expand cooperation with the U.S., Kosovo and other like-minded partners in the West Balkans to enhance regional supply chain resilience, he added.
 
Launched in 2015 by Taiwan and the U.S. and later joined by Japan, Australia, Canada and the U.K. as full partners, GCTF has become a premier platform for international capacity building and experience sharing, and has since convened more than 90 workshops involving experts and government officials from over 100 countries around the world. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2862832026/09/22Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Isabel Hou spoke on national digital competitiveness in the artificial intelligence era at the third Taiwan-Paraguay Technology Forum Sept. 11 in capital city, Asunción.
 
Organized by the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University (UPTP), the two-day forum was attended by academic, government and industrial representatives. Paraguay President Santiago Peña, UPTP Rector Jorge Duarte and ROC (Taiwan) Ambassador to Paraguay Ivan Lee were all present at the opening ceremony.
 
The forum was initiated in 2024 by UPTP, as part of a bilateral project between Taiwan and Paraguay. This year’s topics included advanced manufacturing, digital government and health, financial services, information security and smart agriculture, the ministry said.
 
Hou shared Taiwan AI governance practices including the Artificial Intelligence Basic Act that took effect in January this year. The deputy minister stated that Taiwan was eager to work long-term with ally Paraguay to develop AI.
 
Hou also called on Paraguay Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate and discussed AI governance, infrastructure, ecosystems and personnel training. The deputy minister committed to furthering academia and industry connections between UPTP and Taiwan in research and personnel training.
 
According to the MODA, in May this year during Peña’s visit to Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te and Peña witnessed a memorandum of understanding on investment in a sovereign artificial intelligence computing center, as well as another MOU on cybersecurity cooperation.
 
The MODA committed to working in tandem with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deepen collaboration with Paraguay on the digital environment. (POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2862642026/09/21The Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the World Alliance for Disaster Management Sept. 19 in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the National Fire Agency, underscoring government commitment to expanding Taiwan’s international participation.
 
The WADM opening ceremony was hosted by President Lai Ching-te and held jointly with the 2026 Resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum and the International Disaster Education and Action Forum, the MOFA said. Representatives from 21 countries attended the ceremony, the ministry said, adding that officials including Raynold Oilouch, vice president of Palau, and Eswatini’s Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla were in attendance.
 
In his remarks, Lai described the establishment of WADM as a breakthrough in Taiwan’s global involvement. He said the association will leverage the country’s disaster prevention and rescue expertise to strengthen transnational cooperation.
 
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang welcomed overseas delegations with a reception Sept. 18 in Taipei City. At the event Lin said that Taiwan will utilize its advantages in artificial intelligence, communications technology, satellite applications, smart manufacturing and unmanned aerial vehicles to enhance global disaster governance capabilities with international partners.
 
The MOFA said that visiting delegates will have the opportunity to see the NFA’s training center in Nantou County to gain insight into Taiwan’s capabilities in disaster preparation, prevention, response and professional training. The center is the largest compound disaster training base in Asia and third largest in the world, the ministry added.
 
WADM is the first intergovernmental organization inaugurated by Taiwan. It is also the third global organization with headquarters in the country, preceded by the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region in 1970 and the World Vegetable Center in 1971. (POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2862592026/09/21Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a banquet for a delegation from the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group Sept. 18 in Taipei City to discuss issues of mutual interest.
 
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation was led by Sarah Champion, APPG chair and a co-signatory of a 2024 House of Commons motion on the international status of Taiwan. The group also included Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and MPs Caroline Johnson, Rupa Huq, Rosena Allin-Khan and Marsha De Cordova.
 
Lin said Taiwan and the U.K. are like-minded partners that share the universal values of freedom, democracy, respect for the rule-of-law and commitment to rules-based international order.
 
Under the bilateral Enhanced Trade Partnership agreement concluded in 2023, the two sides signed three pillar arrangements on investment, digital trade and energy and zero-transmission in 2025, an example of like-minded partners working to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Lin added.
 
Taiwan is an indispensable and strategic partner to Europe, due to its key role in global high-tech and semiconductor supply chains, the minister said, anticipating expanded cooperation to enhance global democratic resilience.
 
Champion said the delegates were deeply impressed by the vitality of Taiwan’s democracy and the warmth and hospitality of its people. The MP praised the progress of the bilateral relations in recent years and welcomed increased exchange between the two sides.
 
Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and promoting regional prosperity are in the common interest of all involved, she said, adding that the British Parliament will continue to pay close attention to cross-strait developments and welcome the expansion of bilateral exchange. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2862322026/09/18President Lai Ching-te received a delegation led by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the Presidential Office Sept. 17 in Taipei City and expressed hope of expanding cooperation with the U.S. state.
 
Lai welcomed the governor on her third visit in three years, adding that the visits underscore the importance the governor attaches to Taiwan and the deepening friendship between the two sides. He thanked the governor and members of the Michigan Legislature for their long-standing support for Taiwan, its global participation and expanded trade ties between Taiwan and the U.S.
 
According to the president, Michigan is a global automotive industry hub. Its core strengths are highly complementary to Taiwan’s and are compelling an increasing number of Taiwanese firms to expand their presence in the state, he said.
 
Amid Taiwan’s drone industry development, he anticipated that the governor’s visit would bring about more Taiwan-U.S. cooperation to enhance supply chain resilience and reinforce the technological and industrial security of both sides.
 
Lai said Taiwan looks forward to the signing of an avoidance of double taxation agreement with the U.S. at the earliest possible juncture to create an even more investment-friendly environment for Taiwanese and American businesses. This positive development will also help local companies establish a more robust industrial cluster in Michigan, he added.
 
In response, Whitmer congratulated the president on his achievements in the first two years of his term, saying that he has strengthened the Taiwan-U.S. relationship and that Michigan is excited to contribute to the expanding partnership.
 
The governor said there has been more bilateral investment, cultural exchange and academic collaboration since Michigan announced the opening of the Michigan Taiwan Office two years ago.
 
She also said she is pleased to announce a new sister city agreement between Taichung City and Michigan’s Oakland County, adding that Michigan is excited for the future it shares with Taiwan. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2862432026/09/18Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi spoke of Taiwan and Florida jointly forging a high-tech supply chain to expand mutually beneficial partnerships while receiving a delegation of members from the U.S. state’s legislature.
 
Chen met with the group, led by Rep. Jennifer Canady, Sept. 16 in Taipei City. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chen said that there has been increasing economic, investment and trade exchange between Taiwan and the U.S., adding that Taiwan and Florida have worked together on talent cultivation and school-to-school cooperation under the framework of the Taiwan-U.S. Education Initiative, to great effect.
 
Canady, who chairs the House Education and Employment Committee, said she and the delegation looked forward to learning from Taiwan’s achievements in personnel training and technological innovation, as well as its establishment and maintenance of an excellent investment environment to further substantial ties between the two sides. She added that Taiwan has firm cross-party support within her state.
 
The MOFA said the government pledged to continue promoting mutual collaboration to deepen Taiwan-U.S. ties. (POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2862162026/09/17An international workshop on enhancing energy resilience and supply chain security is being held starting Sept. 16 in Taipei City, according to the Ministry of Environment.
 
Hosted through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the event is organized by the MOENV, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, American Institute in Taiwan, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Australian Office in Taipei, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and British Office Taipei. Around 230 academics, business representatives and officials from Taiwan and 28 other countries are taking part in the three-day workshop.
 
MOENV Minister Peng Chi-ming stated that energy resilience is the cornerstone in construction of net-zero transition and national security. To achieve net-zero transition by 2050, Taiwan has set nationally determined contributions of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 36-40 percent below 2005 levels by 2035, he added.
 
As part of this policy goal, the minister said Taiwan has implemented a diverse carbon fee system, which is expected to help reduce 45.2 million tons of carbon emissions per year by 2030 while giving rise to NT$700 billion (US$21.95 billion) in green investment by the private sector.
 
Other measures include expanding cooperation between the local emissions trading system and its global counterparts, investing in emerging net-zero emission sectors through the Taiwan Green Growth Fund and recognizing resource recycling as key infrastructure, among other initiatives, Peng added.
 
According to the MOENV, discussions on the first day of the workshop focused on renewable energy, key mineral supply chains and maritime security, with exchange on energy security challenges stemming from extreme weather and geopolitics and potential solutions. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2862172026/09/17Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung received a delegation led by Marcello Maria Ventura, president of the IV Standing Committee for Production Activities, Education, Training and Employment of Italy’s Lombardy Regional Council, Sept. 15 in Taipei City, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
In his remarks, Lin first thanked the Lombardy Regional Council for passing a resolution supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and expressed appreciation to the Italian government for assisting Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim while she attended the Second European Conference of Ventotene for Freedom and Democracy Sept. 11 in southern Italy.
 
The foreign minister further mentioned the group he led to Milan in June to advance economic and trade links between the two countries and the close bilateral cooperation between industrial sectors that he witnessed on the trip.
 
During a luncheon held for the delegation later the same day, Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-chung Wu highlighted Taiwan’s key role in the global artificial intelligence and semiconductor sectors, citing Taiwan’s production of over 95 percent of the world’s advanced chips and 90 percent of AI servers. Wu urged Italy and other international partners to work closely with Taiwan to promote prosperity.
 
In response, Ventura said that after members of the Lombardy Regional Council visited Taiwan last year, a cross-party friendship group was established in the council, demonstrating firm support. He pledged that Northern Italy would continue expanding cooperation with Taiwan.
 
The delegation will also call on agencies including the Ministries of Digital Affairs and Health and Welfare; the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration; and Hsinchu County-headquartered Industrial Technology Research Institute, the MOFA said. (POC-E)

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 ]]>2861912026/09/16President Lai Ching-te received a delegation led by Tuvalu Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labor and Trade Paulson Panapa, Sept. 15 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. Lai anticipated cooperating further with Tuvalu in response to authoritarian expansion and climate change.
 
Lai noted that Sept. 19 marks the 47th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Tuvalu. Over the past four decades, the two have collaborated on climate adaptation, digital transition and power grid resilience. Current joint projects include milkfish aquaculture and fruit and vegetable production on Tuvalu’s outlying islands.
 
The president thanked the allied nation for its long-standing support of Taiwan’s international participation, citing the nation’s backing at both this year’s World Health Assembly and Pacific Islands Forum. He anticipated expanded exchange between the two countries under the framework of the Kaitasi Treaty.
 
Panapa noted that the two nations share values of democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and the rule of law He added that the phrase ‘a Kaitasi spirit’ in Tuvalu language means a strong spirit of kinship, like the bond between Taiwan and Tuvalu.
 
The minister noted Taiwan’s assistance to Tuvalu in advancing education, digital access and medicine. He looked forward to deepening collaboration to upgrade climate resilient infrastructure, employment and renewable energy.
 
Panapa also lauded Taiwan’s leading role in digital innovation, disaster response and medicine. He pledged continued support for Taiwan’s international participation. (POC-E)
 
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 ]]>2861852026/09/16Wu Hsi-deh and Victor Louzon were presented with the 2026 Taiwan-France Cultural Award Sept. 14 in Paris for their work to expand exchanges between the two countries.
 
According to the Ministry of Culture, the presentation ceremony was held at the Institut de France. More than 100 representatives from the two sides’ academic, art, cultural and political communities were in attendance, including Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan and Jean-David Levitte, president of the institute’s Academy of Moral and Political Sciences.
 
Inspired by the famous words of France’s first culture minister, André Malraux, Li said art is the shortest path from Taiwan to the world. He added that freedom is a value it shares with the global community.
 
The award enables the two countries to move closer through arts, knowledge and the humanities, he said, adding that the government of Taiwan is committed to providing a free and democratic cultural landscape where individuals can exercise their creativity to its fullest potential.
 
Levitte said over the past 30 years, the award has continuously promoted cultural exchanges between France and Taiwan. He commended the two winning scholars for achievements in their respective fields and contributions that highlight the deep and lasting bond between Taiwan and France, as well as Taiwan and the whole of Europe.
 
In his acceptance speech, Wu, a professor emeritus in the Department of French at Tamkang University in New Taipei City who studied in Paris more than 40 years ago, said the award is not only a personal achievement but also a salute to the friendship between Taiwan and France.
 
Louzon, an assistant professor of history at Sorbonne University, said he realized that the history of Taiwan should not become a bargaining chip between major powers through his research on the transformation of Taiwan’s political power. He commended the Taiwanese people for continuing to reflect on their own identities even as more and more people are drawn to the surface stability of authoritarian regimes. (SFC-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw]]>2861702026/09/15Vice Economic Minister Lai Chien-hsin presented Taiwanese perspectives on meeting rising electricity demands at the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Energy Ministerial Meeting Sept. 10-11 in Beijing.

Lai shared Taiwan’s methods of ensuring stable supply through renewable energy, energy conservation and storage as well as power grid improvements, the MOEA said. The vice minister also held sideline talks with his counterparts from other APEC members to discuss Taiwan’s second energy transformation, which has included the installation of offshore wind turbines that bring its installed capacity to No. 5 in the world.

Discussions at this year’s meeting centered on ensuring access to energy, applying artificial intelligence in the energy sector and promoting collaboration to facilitate security, the ministry said. One of the major achievements at this year’s convention was Taiwan, as the hub of global AI supply chain and semiconductor industry, joining forces with the U.S to advocate for the establishment of a task force on the mutual advancement of AI and energy under APEC’s Energy Working Group, the MOEA added.

Taiwan will continue to deepen exchanges with Asia-Pacific partners by actively participating in policy and technological cooperation to collaboratively enhance security and resilience in the region, the MOEA said. (POC-E)

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