US to provide Ukraine with US$1.2 billion aid package

2023-05-12

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Washington is looking to cooperate with China to "solve big challenges." His remarks come as China prepares to send an envoy to Ukraine for peace talks. Meanwhile, the U.S. is providing Ukraine with $1.2 billion in military aid ahead of its expected spring offensive against Russia. Voice of America’s Nike Ching has more.

Russian forces attacked Kyiv with a barrage of missiles, hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech at a Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, accusing the West of waging a “real war” against Russia. In Washington, the Pentagon said the U.S. will provide Ukraine with $1.2 billion in military aid, ahead of its expected spring offensive against Russia.

Antony Blinken
US secretary of state
Right now, of course, the focus is on the Ukrainian efforts that we anticipate to try to retake more of the territory that’s been seized from Ukraine by Russia over the last 14 plus months. My own estimation is that they have in place across all of those dimensions what they need to continue to be successful in regaining territory.

Ukraine’s spring offensive against Russia may pave the way for negotiations by the end of the year, officials say. In Europe, officials said China could play a part.

Annalena Baerbock
German foreign minister
China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, can play a significant role in ending the war if it chooses to do so.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Tuesday that China is preparing to send a peace envoy to Ukraine.

Qin Gang
Chinese foreign minister
We will persist in promoting peace talks. And we will send the Chinese government’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine in the near future.

But one analyst is skeptical.

William Taylor
US Institute of Peace
The Chinese are not neutral. They are not unbiased. They are clearly tilted, much tilted toward Russia. The key caution is to be sure that any conversation with the Chinese about the Ukraine war — Russian war on Ukraine — has the Ukrainians as participants.

U.S. officials say there is a role for China to play in mediating peace talks. But such diplomatic efforts should be consistent with the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nike Ching, VOA News, Washington.

12億美元軍援美助烏克蘭發動春季反攻

2023-05-12

美國國務卿布林肯週二表示，美國正在尋求與中國就重大議題進行合作。與此同時，中國正準備派遣特使前往烏克蘭進行和談。而美國將向烏克蘭提供12億美元的軍事援助，協助烏克蘭對俄羅斯發動春季反攻。來自美國之音的報導。

就在俄羅斯對烏克蘭領土發動大規模空襲幾個小時後，俄羅斯總統普丁在勝利日的紅場閱兵上發表演說，指控西方針對俄羅斯發動「真正的戰爭」。美國將向烏克蘭提供12億美元的軍事援助，協助烏克蘭對俄羅斯發動春季反攻。

[[美國國務卿布林肯]]
“現在，當然，重點是烏克蘭試圖重新奪回俄羅斯在過去14個多月中，從烏克蘭手中奪走的領土。我自己的估計是，他們在各個方面都具備了持續收復失土所需的條件”

官員們相信，烏克蘭規劃中的春季反攻，可能為烏克蘭和俄羅斯在今年底前展開談判鋪路，而中國可以協助促使莫斯科坐到談判桌前。

[[德國外長貝爾柏克]]
“中國身為聯合國安理會常任理事國，如果願意，可以在結束戰爭上發揮重要作用”

中國外交部長秦剛周二表示，正準備派遣和平特使到烏克蘭。

[[中國外交部長秦剛]]
“我們將堅持勸和促談，並將派中國政府的歐亞事務特使，近期赴烏克蘭進行訪問”

但有專家抱持著懷疑的態度。

[[美國和平研究所泰勒]]
“中國不是中立的。不是沒有偏見的。他們顯然是非常偏向俄羅斯。關鍵的是要確保中國針對俄烏戰爭進行的任何對話，都必須要有烏克蘭的參與”

美國官員表示，中國可以在和平談判中發揮作用，但一切都應該在符合主權和領土完整的原則下進行。

Outcome of Ukraine war will affect China’s decision on Taiwan invasion: top US General

The U.S. is, as ever, paying close attention to rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. In the latest, American national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, met with top Chinese official Wang Yi, where he stressed that Washington would abide by its bedrock "one China" policy and the Taiwan Relations Act. Meanwhile, General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said the outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian war could affect the way tensions in the Taiwan Strait play out.

China’s main active duty drone, the CH-4 Rainbow, on Thursday entered Taiwan’s ADIZ from the northeast and circled Taiwan in a clockwise direction. This is the third time for a Chinese drone to fly close to Taiwan in half a month.

Responding to China’s increasing military intimidation, the annual Han Kuang military exercises this year are focused on anti-landing drills. However, national defense needs to be strengthened and civil defense is even more important.

Chang Po-yang
Taiwan Statebuilding Party
Each person should have a pocket book, there should be one in the hands of every person in every household, that gives them sufficient knowledge relating to how to respond to air raids and disaster prevention. Starting with communities, people one by one should have a concept of national defense. If there is a sense of national defense, then one more community, one more citizen will become the vanguard of our military.

Cross-strait relations are becoming increasingly tense and the U.S. is paying close attention. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday met with Wang Yi, the director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office. In the meeting, Sullivan reiterated that the U.S. would work to abide by its “one China” policy in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo. He also expressed hope that differences between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait could be resolved peacefully. General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff also expressed his views about the Taiwan Strait at a congressional hearing.

Mark Milley
US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
I think that what Putin has done is an illegal direct assault on that order and if he’s allowed to succeed in that, China will learn certain lessons and it may not be the single decisive point, but I think it will calculate into their decision making as to whether or not they attack Taiwan. I think the outcome of Ukraine is critical to much broader issues than just Ukraine.

Taiwan can also learn from the Ukraine experience in its war with Russia and speed up preparations so it can respond to anything China might do.

2023-05-12

Lawmakers establish parliamentary amity association with Somaliland

2023-05-12

President and foreign minister attend Christian prayer breakfast

President Tsai Ing-wen and foreign minister Joseph Wu attended a Christian prayer breakfast event on Friday, which had been on hiatus for three years due to the pandemic. In her address to participants, Tsai praised the church for being a force for stability in Taiwan. Security was on high alert at the event, however, as just one day before, Wu had received death threats from netizens.

A congregation of more than 400 Christians came together on Friday to pray for the country. After three years of COVID, this prayer breakfast event is back on, with the attendance of President Tsai Ing-wen.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
COVID has been downgraded in Taiwan, so we can finally join our sisters and brothers from Taiwan and abroad in this prayer breakfast. Praying for our nation and for the world is especially meaningful. The church is a force that supports social stability in Taiwan. With this spirit I also serve our country and ensure peace.

Tsai gave a dedication to Doris Brougham, a U.S. educator and missionary who’s worked in Taiwan for more than 70 years.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
Doris Brougham actually turned down not one but several suitors. You know why she said no? It’s because they would ask her to leave Taiwan with them, and she decided to stay here with us.

President Tsai’s words drew laughs from the audience. Tsai was joined at the event by foreign minister Joseph Wu, who recently received nine messages from internet users threatening to kill his entire family. Security was on high alert.

Liu Yung-chien
Foreign ministry spokesperson
Yesterday, death threats were sent to the minister’s official page. We have presented them to the police. If we have different opinions, we can talk it out. Resorting to violent threats will not be tolerated. I think the police will handle the matter appropriately, be it the security aspect or any relevant procedures.

It’s not the first time that the minister receives death threats. His office says such behavior will not be tolerated, adding that the police was on the case.

2023-05-12

Presidential hopefuls attend Matsu birthday ceremonies in Northern Taiwan

2023-05-12

Scalpers to face fines of up to 50 times ticket price, prison sentences

2023-05-12

US visitor strikes up an unlikely friendship at Penghu International Fireworks Festival

Now we have a heart-warming story of friendship across borders. The Penghu International Fireworks Festival attracts thousands of visitors to the golden beaches of the islands. This year, one U.S. visitor who didn’t speak Chinese, struck up an unlikely friendship at the event. She and taxi driver Wei Jui-fu managed to communicate without a common language. She was able to enjoy a festival in a country that was completely foreign to her, thanks to the patient hospitality of a cab driver committed to making her feel welcome.

A spectacular fireworks display explodes over the sea. Penghu International Fireworks Festival attracts huge crowds to the outlying island. One U.S. traveler filmed this video after her visit, telling the story of her meeting with a Penghu resident.

She explained how she struck up a great friendship with her taxi driver. Although the two didn’t have a shared language, she managed to let him know where she was going by forwarding him the addresses of her destinations.

And this is the cabbie who made such a big impression. Although Wei Jui-fu doesn’t count English in his skillset, he was determined to get his client safely to her destination.

Wei Jui-fu
Taxi driver
She flew halfway round the world to get here. We took more care, because she was a total stranger here and didn’t know anyone, right? We didn’t share a language but we somehow understood each other on a heart level.

Wei explains that thousands of tourists descend on Penghu on each day of the fireworks festival. It can be tricky for a Taiwanese visitor to hail a ride – let alone a tourist from abroad.

Wei Jui-fu
Taxi driver
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get a taxi again, so she added me on Line so she could contact me. It’s hard to call a taxi round here.

While the traveler is now back home in the U.S., the two continue to share updates online – in the form of photos from their daily life. This “friendship without words” has left one visitor with the warmest possible memories of the people of Taiwan.

2023-05-12

Fun and relaxation for all the family at New Taipei Riverside Butterfly Festival

2023-05-12

Farm’s cocoa banquet features cocoa pork, cocoa chicken and cinavu

2023-05-12

Lo Ying-yuan wins two golds, one silver at Asian Weightlifting Championships

2023-05-12

US to provide Ukraine with US$1.2 billion aid package