President Lai returns from state visit accompanied by Eswatini Deputy PM

President Lai returns from state visit accompanied by Eswatini Deputy PM

2026-05-05

President Lai Ching-te and his team returned from Eswatini on Tuesday morning, traveling with Eswatini’s chartered aircraft. Lai’s state visit was originally scheduled for April 22, but was reported sabotaged by China after it pressured three African island nations to rescind overflight permits. On May 2, the president still made the visit, traveling with Eswatini deputy prime minister back to her country. Lai’s arrival came as a surprise, but he asserted that Taiwan and its people have the right to engage with the world, as a part of the global community, and that Taiwan will not be deterred by pressure.

In less than a week, Eswatini’s chartered aircraft touched down again at Taoyuan International Airport. It’s safely escorted President Lai Ching-te and his team back to Taiwan.

Traveling with Eswatini allowed Taiwan to outsmart Beijing’s diplomatic blockade. China had reportedly pressured three African island nations to abruptly rescind Taiwan’s overflight permits just one day before the original scheduled date of departure. Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, standing beside the president, had supported this trip all the way.

Lai Ching-te
President
Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has personally traveled with us across vast distances to ensure my and the delegation’s smooth journey. I would also like to express our sincerest appreciation to her once again. Madam Deputy Prime Minister, you must be the best leading actress in “Driving Miss Daisy” if it were set in the skies.

Although not officially confirmed, it’s believed that Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung had facilitated the arrangements for Lai’s visit while in Eswatini on April 25 and 26. Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Dladla’s arrival in Taiwan to escort President Lai shortly followed on April 30. The president said that rather than characterizing the subsequent visit as a breakthrough, it should be understood that Taiwan and its people naturally, have every right to engage with the world.

Lai Ching-te
President
Some media have characterized this state visit as a “breakthrough” amid external interference. In truth, however, visits between heads of state are very natural. The people of Taiwan have every right to engage with the world. We will not back down in the face of pressure.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Our citizens who truly wish for the Republic of China, Taiwan a place in the world and worldwide visibility will harbor greater hope and expectations. As for those who are furious and disdainful, they’re the saboteurs that had interfered with the president’s state visit at the time.

Although Beijing’s interference made the president miss out on celebratory events for Swazi King Mswati III, including his 58th birthday, in the end, Taiwan still made a successful visit against the odds.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taiwan #eswatini #賴清德 #卓榮泰 #africa

訪史行圓滿落幕! 賴清德感謝史國副總理"溫馨接送情"

2026-05-05

總統賴清德原定4/22出訪友邦史瓦帝尼，一度因中國打壓而暫緩。但他成功突破，今天(5日)上午也搭著史國專機順利返抵國門。史國副總理扎杜莉，來回全程陪同，這也是她一周內第二度來台，讓賴清德開玩笑封她為"航空版溫馨接送情最佳女主角"。

史瓦帝尼國王專機，短短一周內，二度現身桃園國際機場，這回載著總統賴清德順利返國。

賴清德這一趟祕密出訪，成功突破中共外交封鎖。其中最佳助攻手，就包括總統身旁的史瓦帝尼副總理扎杜莉，全程以行動相挺。

[[總統賴清德]]
“扎杜莉女士，親自陪著我們數萬公里的航程，確保我和訪團順利往返，我要再次表達我們最真摯的感謝之意，副總理女士，妳是航空版的，溫馨接送情的最佳女主角”

雖然總統府沒有明言，但外界猜測，賴清德這回可以成功抵達史瓦帝尼的關鍵，在於行程受阻後，外交部長林佳龍和史國磋商，促成對方派札杜莉搭乘史瓦帝尼國王專機來台接人。

[[總統賴清德]]
“這趟國是訪問，有媒體用"突破"來形容，過程中的外力波折，但實際上，國家元首之間的相互訪問，本來就是再平凡不過，台灣人有權利走向世界，我們不會因為打壓而退縮”

[[行政院長卓榮泰]]
“凡是真正希望中華民國台灣能夠走向國際，被全世界看見的國人，都會有更多的祝福和期待，而對那些非常生氣的(人) ，冷言冷語的，就是當初，在阻擾總統出訪的黑手”

儘管比原定的4/22出訪，還要緩了10天出發，沒能親自參加到國王58歲生日慶典，但賴清德仍向世界證明，台灣外交實力，不會因中國打壓而讓步。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Blooming verbena, daylilies carpet Sun Moon Lake in purple and gold

The daylily fields in Sun Moon Lake’s Toushe area are in full bloom! After a successful trial adding verbena last year, the park expanded its planting this year. Both plants are now blossoming, carpeting 10 hectares of the park with seas of gold daylilies and purple verbena, beautifully accented by the white tung blossoms dotting the distant mountains.

Here at Sun Moon Lake, fields of orange daylilies stretch as far as the eye can see, looking particularly vibrant in the sunshine. The verbena flowers are also in bloom, adding a romantic purple to the mix. In some areas, the two blossoms intermingle, creating a tapestry of purple and gold that’s become a major draw for visitors.

Visitor
I came last year and found the pairing of verbena with daylilies to be beautiful. So this year I made sure to come back for a little visit.

The park started planting verbena in the Toushe daylily fields near the lake last year. Thanks to the fertile soil, the plants flourished, and the park decided to expand planting this year. Interspersed with the golden daylilies and framed by white tung blossoms on the distant mountains, the place is as beautiful as a painting.

Wang Ming-yu
Horticulturist
We expanded the verbena planting this year. The entire park is about 12 hectares. The colored daylily and lowland daylily cover about 5 or 6 hectares, while the verbena covers nearly 10.

Visitors to Sun Moon Lake would usually include a visit to the daylily fields along with a boat tour. Now, the addition of the purple verbena gives the flower fields greater depth and interest.

Wang Ming-yu
Horticulturist
Because of the hot weather this year, the daylilies reached full bloom two weeks early. Now is the optimal time to see them, probably lasting until the end of May or early June.

The blossoms won’t last forever. If you want to catch this majestic sea of purple and gold, make your way over to Sun Moon Lake before the season ends!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Motorist protests parking fine after scooter moved onto dividing line

Imagine getting a parking ticket, even though you parked in a legal spot. This happened recently to a driver in New Taipei City. He parked his scooter within the lines, only for it to be moved by someone else so that a part of the stand was hanging over into the neighboring handicapped spot. The result: a NT$1,200 fine. The man was upset, saying he was parked there a while and didn’t know when it got moved. He wanted to protest the ticket, but couldn’t get the footage in time, calling the whole ordeal a headache.

This blue scooter looks to be parked properly within the lines. But if you look closely, part of its stand and front wheel are just slightly jutting over into the handicapped space next to it. The driver was hit with a NT$1,200 fine for the infraction.

Complainant
Got fined
I parked here around Feb. 25 and didn’t move it after that. Then in early April, I checked my phone and saw I got a ticket. No one intentionally parks in the handicapped spaces. I had parked within the lines. In Taiwan, it’s common for people to move others’ scooters.

Looking over the ticket, the driver couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The scooter that he had parked legally, well between the lines, was fined after someone else moved it into the handicapped space. By the time he wanted to appeal, footage from the nearby CCTV cameras had already been erased.

Complainant
Got fined
It’s such a headache. I’m dumbfounded. It’s unreasonable to issue a fine for the stand touching the blue line. Of course, I wanted to appeal, but the process is a huge hassle and eats up time. What I’m really afraid of is, since I got the fine on April 2 and I’ve been parked there the whole time, did I get more fines? I don’t know yet.

We used a tape measure to see just how far over the bike was. From the edge of the white line to the foot of the stand is about 5cm. Do those 5cm really warrant a NT$1,200 fine?

Wang Yu-chun
FTV reporter
You can see that the scooter’s stand is now firmly on the white line, but part of it is sticking out into the handicapped space. So would this count as occupying the space, too?

Chen Wei-tso
Traffic police officer
Vehicles should be parked fully within the space. If the body or any part of the vehicle exceeds past or rests on the line, we will consider it on a case-by-case basis before issuing a fine.

Figuring out how to park legally can sometimes be a guessing game. If you park at the very end of the row, it’s best to take a photo as insurance in case someone decides to play musical chairs with your bike.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Couple hopes Internet will help find their ‘anniversary’ license plate

What are the odds of losing your license plate to a pigeon? Well, that’s exactly what happened to a couple living in New Taipei. Mr. Tien and his partner were driving southward last Saturday along National Freeway No. 1, when suddenly, a pigeon collided with their car. They did not think much about it, until they got pulled over by the police, as their license plate had gone missing. They were sure the impact had caused the license plate to fall off, and that it was indeed a pigeon, because it was found lodged on the radiator. Even though the highway maintenance office helped them look for the license plate, it was nowhere to be found. It’s true that they could get another one, but the couple still hopes to find the original license plate, because they got it with their car when they opened their car repair shop.

- You think traffic congestion is the worst traveling on the long weekend? Wrong. It’s when your license plate gets knocked off by a bird.

A couple was driving on National Freeway No. 1 southward. While passing through Houli, Taichung, they felt an object hit against the car. Later, the police asked them to pull over because they did not have a license plate. It was then when they realized the impact they felt came from a pigeon, and that was when the license plate got knocked off.

Voice of Mr. Tien
Repair shop owner
While we were changing lanes outward, there was a pigeon on the freeway. After we changed lanes, we noticed that it was at the front of the car. When it was about to take flight, it bumped against our car, and then the license plate disappeared.

The police checked the car body thoroughly after hearing Mr. Tien, the car owner’s explanation, and found that the coolant reservoir had burst from the impact. The pigeon, which supposedly caused the license plate to fall off, was stuck on the radiator. The police asked the highway maintenance office to look around the 155.7km mark of the freeway, but the license plate seemed to be gone for good. It might have fallen off the bridge.

Voice of Mr. Tien
Repair shop owner
I bought this car around when I opened my car repair shop. I bought it from a client. It came with a license plate number ending with “8885.” I hope that someone would find this license plate, because it’s bidded, after all. It wasn’t very expensive, but it represents a memory.

- This license plate with “8885” marked the start of our business. It’s not a piece of metal, but a story of entrepreneurship.

The missing license plate has great sentimental value for the couple, as it’s been with them for almost four years, closely marking the anniversary of their repair shop. They posted about the prized possession on social media, in hopes that they may still have it back.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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A hair-raising incident involving gas tanks and a lit cigarette scared Zhubei locals out of their wits. A truck was transporting dozens of gas cylinders along a busy street, when all of a sudden, the tanks started falling from the back and rolling on the road releasing gas. The driver immediately got off the vehicle to close the nozzles, but he didn’t realize he had a lit cigarette in his mouth until he was almost touching a leaky can. Fortunately, he noticed the potential hazard in time and cast the cigarette butt aside before collecting the cargo.

Dozens of gas tanks roll off a truck onto a busy road, leaking white gas as they spread over the asphalt. The driver gets off the truck and runs after canisters with a lit cigarette in his mouth. This could be disaster. Fortunately, he realized the hazard and threw the butt to one side before retrieving the gas cans. He appeared calm and unbothered, but witnesses were scared out of their wits.

Voice of passerby
Scared by scene
It was so dangerous. He wasn’t afraid of causing an explosion? He should at least have some hazard awareness, since he’s handling gas.

Voice of passerby
Scared by scene
You’re not supposed to smoke while transporting gas like that. But he was. It was a terrifying sight.

The terrifying scene took place in Zhubei in Hsinchu County. Fortunately, there were no open flames nearby, and the tanks themselves did not create sparks when they came crashing on the road.

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You would need three elements for an explosion to occur: a confined space, a high concentration of gas and a source of ignition. In this case, the conditions were not met.

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After being in business for over 40 years, a small restaurantselling traditional rice noodles in Hsinchu County’s Qionglin Township has now been recognized by the Michelin Guide. The owner said he not only selects the best quality rice noodles, but also takes special care in preparing the broth.

Vibrant green vegetables perfectly contrast with the pristine white of these vermicelli rice noodles. The fried shallots on top add a refreshing crunch. Whether served dry or in a soup, it’s a perfect combination.

Large slivers of ginger, chili, garlic, and basil go in the wok first, followed by fresh intestines and stir-fried together to create this classic Hakka dish.

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The flavor is always spot-on. So every time I want to eat these rice noodles, I come here.

Customer
You can really taste the difference with the authentic rice noodles.

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Over 1 million people visit Feifeng Mountain every year. So gradually, it will drive economic development in the surrounding area, along with other Hakka restaurants.

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I wake up every day at 4:30, since the broth needs to simmer for two hours.

The secret to making delicious rice noodles is in the richness of the broth, which has carrots, fresh pork, bones, and many kinds of vegetables. The owner said he has to wake up before sunrise every day to get the broth on to simmer. He even uses freshly slaughtered pork to ensure the quality. He only makes about 100 bowls a day, and closes after selling out.

Liu Chang-lang
Restaurant owner
I never imagined that what used to be considered a lowly local street food could actually make it onto the Michelin Guide.

This restaurant blends Minnan and Hakka culinary traditions to offer an authentic flavor sure to satisfy every gourmand.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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