Representative Francis Kuo-Hsin Liang received a visit from the Singapore (International) Arts & Culture Exchange Association’s Honorary Chairman Dr. Ho Kah Leong, Chairman Mr. Lee See Sin, Deputy Chairman Mr. Teng Wen Chang and its member artists on 3 March 2017.

During the meeting, Representative Liang highlighted that Singapore and Taiwan share a close knitted relationship and have always enjoyed good cultural relations.  Under Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy”, he looks forward to greater cross-cultural collaboration and cooperation between Singapore, ASEAN and Taiwan.

Dr. Ho Kah Leong, Mr. Choy Weng Yang, Mr. Teng Wen Chang and Mr. Lim Poh Teck noted that Singapore and Taiwan shared deep cultural relations.  The common language of culture has brought Singapore and Taiwan artists together and Singapore artists who studied arts in Taiwan in the early years are playing a key role in shaping and nurturing new generations of artists in Singapore. The Singapore (International) Arts & Culture Exchange Association, therefore, looks forward with much anticipation to sharing a slice of Singapore’s arts and heritage at the upcoming “Taiwan-Singapore Exchange Exhibition” hosted by the Taichung City government in July.

The Taiwan-Singapore Exchange Exhibition, to be held at the Taichung City Dadun Cultural Center from 1 to 12 July 2017, will be featuring 110 works from 30 Taiwan artists and 20 artists from the Singapore (International) Arts & Culture Exchange Association.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi hosted a cocktail to celebrate India-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Forum’s 1st Anniversary Feb. 8, 2017.

Nine (9) Members of Parliament from India, including Hon. Harish Chander Mina, and senior editors from the media joined the cocktail.

Amb. Tien Chung-Kwang, while delivering the welcome remarks, said the Forum is expected to promote closer relationship between Taiwan and India in trade, education and culture, among others.

“Bilateral trade between India and Taiwan increased by five times from 2000 to reach US$7 billion in 2014,” Amb. Tien said.

“As of 2016, 1,143 Indian students were studying in Taiwan. With the New Southbound Policy, Taiwan will offer more scholarships this year to talented students from India, ” he added.

Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim P.D. Rai also said that Taiwan and India share many things in common. He said the bilateral trade figure of US$7 billion could be easily surpassed “if the two countries engage with each other more actively.”

Chen Sheng-shan (second left), director-general of Taichung City’s Tourism Bureau, greets passengers arriving at the municipality’s international airport Jan. 15. (Courtesy of Taichung City Government)

Direct flights between Taichung City and Ho Chi Minh City operated by Vietnamese budget airline Vietjet Air officially launched Jan. 15, marking a major milestone in the central Taiwan city’s efforts toward becoming a major gateway for international tourists.

Four round-trip flights will take place each week, with travel times averaging 3.5 hours. More than 90 passengers arrived from Vietnam on the route’s maiden voyage, with around 150 people booking seats for the plane’s return journey.

Chen Sheng-shan, director-general of the municipality’s Tourism Bureau, said at a ceremony to celebrate the launch of the direct flights that the route will help Taichung Airport become a major hub for low-cost airlines. He added that the new service is a practical implementation of the government’s New Southbound Policy, which is a central plank of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy.

Under the initiative, the government is working to deepen agriculture, business, education, tourism and trade ties between Taiwan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

The new route is Vietjet Air’s fifth to Taiwan, the first having been established in December 2014. The other four are from Taipei City to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and southern Taiwan’s Tainan and Kaohsiung cities to Ho Chi Minh City. According to Vietjet, it flies to more destinations in Taiwan than any other airline operating routes between the two countries.

The bureau has been promoting an initiative to make Taichung City the focal point of business and tourism activities in central Taiwan. The slogan “In and out through Taichung” aims to boost the municipality onto the international stage, Chen added.

According to the municipality’s Tourism Bureau, Taichung Airport saw 2.4 million passengers in 2016, an increase of approximately 85 percent compared to 2010. The central counties and cities of Changhua, Chiayi, Miaoli, Nantou, Taichung and Yunlin have a total of around 7 million residents, including new immigrants from ASEAN member states, it added.

The airline may see a significant rise in business due to the region’s population and demographics, which could also help support the development of central Taiwan’s tourism, the bureau said. (KWS-E)

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Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) pada tanggal 12/01/2017 menyambut kunjungan anak anak dari Yayasan Maria Monique , selain tiga anak yang berkebutuhan khusus (Heward), ada anak tuna netra yang berbakat Michael Anthony, mereka berkunjung ke TETO untuk mengenal dan merasakan kehangatan Taiwan.

Wakil ketua TETO Phoebe Yeh dalam pidatonya menyampaikan, tugas utama TETO adalah meningkatkan hubungan antara Indonesia dan Taiwan. Dengan program Kebijakan Baru ke Arah Selatan (New Southbound Policy), sangat diutamakan interaksi antar masyarakat kedua negara. Yayasan Maria Monique selalu memberikan keceriaan kepada anak anak berkebutuhan khusus, Phoebe Yeh mengharapkan anak-anak hari ini juga bisa merasakan kehangatan dari Taiwan.

Pendiri Yayasan Maria Monique Ibu Natalia memperkenalkan masing masing anak dan latar belakang mereka, serta menyampaikan terima kasih kepada TETO atas acara yang telah dipersiapkan dengan baik dan hangat ini.

Di acara ini , selain diperkenalkan pembacaan buku cerita untuk memperkenalkan Taiwan, juga ada diajarkan cara merakit lampion ayam. Acara semakin meriah saat diiringi alunan Keyboard bersama sama menyanyikan lagu Dian Mi Mi serta Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin. Michael Anthony juga membawakan lagu Xiao Wei, Mei Hua, Ai Hen Jian Dan, membuat acara tersebut menjadi lebih ceria. Dalam acara ini juga disuguhi minuman dan snack dari Taiwan, yakni teh susu (Bubble Tea)Taiwan, teh tradisional Taiwan serta popcorn Taiwan. Acara berakhir ditutup dengan penuh kehangatan dan keceriaan.

Representative Chang, James Chi- ping ( fifth from left ) attends Mal Tai Holdings Sdn Bhd versus VIP Chinese New Year Lousang Dinner on January 6, 2017.

Taiwan and India signed a letter of intent for cooperation on railway heritage Dec. 24 in southern Taiwan’s Chiayi City, the latest in a series of measures to forge closer collaboration between the two nations in line with the government’s New Southbound Policy, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tien Chung-kwang, Taiwan’s representative to India, and Sridharan Madhusudhanan, director-general of the India-Taipei Association, signed the agreement on behalf of the two sides. The LOI seeks to foster cooperation between the countries on the protection, management and maintenance of their mountain railway systems.

Taiwan and India both constructed mountain railways between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, comprising such lines as the Alishan Forest Railway in southern Taiwan’s Chiayi County as well as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kalka-Shimla Railway and Nilgiri Mountain Railway in India’s northeastern, northern and southern regions, respectively.

The LOI for cooperation on railway heritage was the third bilateral document signed by the two sides this year, following an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation, both concluded Sept. 12 in Taipei City. These accords are intended to bolster exchanges in the fields of agriculture, aviation, culture and tourism.

India was Taiwan’s 18th largest trading partner in 2015, with bilateral trade volume totaling about US$4.8 billion. In the months ahead, Taiwan looks forward to deepening its partnership with the South Asian nation in areas such as trade and economy, culture, science and technology under the New Southbound Policy, according to the MOFA.

A key component of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, the policy seeks to deepen Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, trade and tourism links with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (KH-E)

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Annual passenger traffic at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport topped 40 million Dec. 13 for the first time in the facility’s 37-year history, with the figure expected to rise 9.09 percent year on year to 42 million by the end of 2016, according to airport officials.

In a special exhibition held Dec. 24 at the northern Taiwan gateway celebrating the milestone, Premier Lin Chuan noted the achievement moved TTIA into the top of five categories in the benchmarking system utilized by the Montreal-based Airport Council International to assess facilities around the world.

“When the airport metro system commences operations early next year, TTIA will gain even more international exposure,” Lin said. “The government will continue enhancing public transportation and implement other infrastructure projects so that TTIA becomes the pride of Taiwan and Asia.”

The premier also highlighted areas where TTIA needs to improve, including addressing problems in the design and operations of Terminal 2. He also said airport authorities must ensure that the expansion of Terminal 2 and construction of Terminal 3 remain on schedule, urging enhanced exchanges with global counterparts so as to improve management practices.

According to government-owned Taoyuan International Airport Corp., which manages the facility, annual passenger traffic has been growing steadily for the past five years. With six budget carriers based in Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam having begun services to the airport earlier this year, the company expects TTIA will become an even busier transport hub in the future.

Efforts to improve the services offered at the airport have paid dividends in recent years. In February, the ACI named TTIA the second best facility of its kind in the 25 million to 40 million passenger service global category for the second consecutive year. In a survey released March 11, 2015, by U.K.-based air travel and review agency Skytrax, the TTIA topped 549 other airports to claim the inaugural World’s Best Airport Staff Service award. (SFC-E)

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The India-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Forum, founded Dec. 16 in New Delhi, will play a key role in promoting mutually beneficial collaboration and exchanges between the two sides, according to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Headed by Harish Chandra Meena, a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house) of the Parliament of India, the forum comprises 12 parliamentarians from the ruling National Democratic Alliance and 10 lawmakers from seven opposition parties in the South Asian nation.

In a recent letter to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, Meena said he was impressed with Taiwan’s vibrant democracy, economic development and social diversity during his visit to the country with five colleagues in August, according to the ministry.

While in Taipei City, the delegation met with members of the Taiwan-India Parliamentary Friendship Association, which was created in April by ruling Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuan Bi-ling.

Meena said he hopes the forum will help forge closer ties between the two countries’ lawmaking bodies and strengthen two-way socioeconomic and cultural ties.

The MOFA said the creation of the forum bodes well for the government’s New Southbound Policy, which is a key component of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy. The initiative seeks to deepen agricultural, business, cultural, education, trade and tourism links with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

According to the Legislative Yuan, interparliamentary exchanges play a substantial role in complementing the government’s diplomatic efforts by reinforcing relations with countries that maintain no official ties with Taiwan. Local legislators currently maintain 50 such international friendship groups. (SFC-E)

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Taiwan and Australia amended the bilateral Air Services Annex Dec. 15 in Taipei City, a significant step forward in opening up the skies between the two sides, according to the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Signed by CAA Director-General Lin Kuo-shian and Australian Office Taipei Representative Catherine Raper, the revised pact allows for an unrestricted capacity of flights both ways as well as other benefits such as expanded code-sharing.

The CAA said the changes, which take effect immediately, are in line with the government’s New Southbound Policy and provide a convenient avenue for local firms seeking to grow their presence in Australia.

A significant component of Republic of China (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, the people-centric New Southbound Policy seeks to deepen agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade links between Taiwan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

“In addition to laying a solid foundation to promote two-way aviation transportation and help carriers grow their businesses, this development will bolster bilateral trade and economic collaboration, cultural exchanges and tourism,” the CAA said.

According to the agency, before the revisions took effect, the number of passenger seats on flights between the two sides was capped at 6,000 per week, with local carriers China Airlines Co. and EVA Airways Corp. offering 20 regular round-trip flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

In response to the signing of the accord, the Australian Office Taipei said in a social media posting that the amended arrangements are “very timely,” as the latest figures show an impressive gain of 30 percent in tourist numbers from Taiwan over the past year. “We look forward to welcoming more tourists to Australia,” the office said.

According to the Ministry of Finance, trade between Taiwan and Australia totaled US$964.94 million during the first 11 months of the year, up 4.91 percent from the same period in 2015. Statistics from the Tourism Bureau show that annual visitor arrivals from Australia rose 9.04 percent to 64,236 as of the end of October. (SFC-E)

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Foreign scholars presented their research results Dec. 13 at the National Central Library in Taipei City as part of the 2016 Taiwan Fellowship program, a public diplomacy initiative intended to facilitate connections with overseas academics and opinion makers.

The fellowship was launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010 as a grant encouraging foreign professors, scientists and doctoral students to conduct research projects at local universities or research institutes. The scholars study subjects regarding Taiwan, mainland China, cross-strait relations, the Asia-Pacific region and Sinology, according to Owen Chyi-wang Hsieh from the MOFA’s Department of Policy Planning.

For the last of this year’s quarterly Taiwan Fellowship seminars, four scholars from universities in Australia, Belgium, Italy and Russia gave their views and observations on topics including domestic and foreign policies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as well as the role of internet media and networking platforms in local social movements.

Among those presenting their work was Davide Vacatello, a postdoctoral researcher from Sapienza University of Rome who studies the PTT bulletin board system. Created in 1995 at National Taiwan University as an academic network, PTT has grown into one of the most influential online platforms in Taiwan, especially among the younger generation.

“I argue that current online discussions are contributing to the formation of a distinctive national identity, especially among the youth, by reinforcing indigenous practices, rhetoric and themes,” said Vacatello, who specializes in the field of internet culture in Mandarin-speaking societies. His host institution is the Graduate Institute of Mass Communication at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.

Since its inception, the Taiwan Fellowship has attracted 692 scholars from 70 countries for stays lasting from three months to a year. Recipients are awarded monthly stipends ranging from NT$50,000 (US$1,570) to NT$60,000 and round-trip airfare. Fellowship participants are also assisted by NCL’s Center for Chinese Studies.

According to the MOFA, the fellowship has contributed to the cultivation of international opinion leaders knowledgeable in Taiwan affairs, which in turn helps expand Taiwan’s presence on the global stage. (KTJ-E)

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