Month: March 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):
 
Question:

     It has been reported that some prospective owners of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats were informed only after taking possession of their flats that the kitchens and toilets in their flats were prefabricated components, of which the partitioning could not be altered, and they decided to forfeit the deposit they had paid as their flats had become much less practical. There are views that the layout and design of HOS flats fail to meet the needs of the public, resulting in quite a number of owners abandoning their brand-new furniture such as pedestal toilets, lavatory basins and zinc basins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of applications received by the Housing Department (HD) in the past three years for altering the partitioning of subsidised sale flats and, among them, the respective numbers of applications involving alterations to kitchens and toilets;

(2) given that the subsidised sale flats of the Hong Kong Housing Society provide open kitchen units for buyers to choose from, whether the Hong Kong Housing Authority has considered increasing the supply of such units; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(3) whether the HD is aware of the wastage caused by tenants and owners of public housing units abandoning the original furniture of the units, such as, among others, countertops in kitchens, taps and zinc basins, after taking possession of their flats; if so, whether the HD will conduct a review of the indoor installations of public housing units, so as to minimize such abandonment; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:

President,
 
     I would like to thank the Hon Leung Man-kwong for his concern about the construction methods, flat design and indoor provisions of the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats categorised under Subsidised Sale Flats (SSF) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA). My reply to the question raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong is as follows:
 
Since its establishment in 1973, the HA has all along been committed to enhancing the housing ladder, assisting low- to middle-income families to achieve home ownership through the sale of SSF, with a view to promoting upward mobility.
 
     In terms of design, the HA has been adopting a simple yet practical approach. The flats are designed according to basic design principles emphasising simplicity, sustainability and safety with provisions that comply with the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance and other relevant regulations. With the constraint of flat size, we understand that residents have to design the layout and partitions in a more flexible manner, so as to meet the needs of different family members. For example, families with elderly members or children will have vastly different needs. Therefore, SSF are partition-free, providing maximum flexibility for users to opt for layouts which suit their own needs at best.
 
     As for construction, as early as the 1980s, the HA has adopted off-site prefabrication technology and has had most building components prefabricated in factories and then delivered to sites for installation. Not only does this technology minimise on-site construction processes, but it also enhances site safety and environmental protection. This further boosts construction efficiency and sustains the sale of SSF at a low price.
 
     Subject to actual conditions of the site, the HA uses different prefabricated components, including precast facades, semi-precast slabs, or volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens as building parts. For example, since 2002, i.e. more than two decades ago, the HA has been applying volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens in public rental housing projects, and the use of volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens were subsequently applied to HOS. So far, 22 relevant projects have been completed with a total provision of as many as 80 000 units. We noticed that for projects adopting volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens, the required remedial works related to bathrooms and kitchens, such as water seepage, amount to at least 50 per cent less compared to traditional on-site construction projects, as reflected in the rectification list submitted by owners after flat in-take. The technology of these volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens has been further developed and it laid the ground for Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), which is well-known to us these days. As this technology is satisfactory in terms of effectiveness and it can further enhance the overall construction quality, the HA has further extended the use of MiC to the construction of entire flats in suitable projects, in addition to bathrooms and kitchens. In March last year, the Development Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province signed the Letter of Intent on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction and Related Engineering Sectors to deepen the collaboration of construction areas between Guangdong and Hong Kong, including the development of MiC as a new quality productive force to contribute to the high-quality national development, making MiC a strategic industry that expands to the international arena.
 
     Regarding household decoration works, HOS flat owners or decoration workers engaged should consult building professionals on the alteration proposals before commencing works, in addition to heeding advice in the decoration guide and confirming compliance with the deed of mutual covenant of the building. Regarding the video clips recently circulated on the Internet about decoration works of new HOS flats, I would like to draw attention to the following situations. Generally speaking, decoration works which only involve the demolition or minor addition of non-structural walls in a flat, such as altering the position of the toilet door, are exempted from prior approval and consent. If the works involve alterations to non-structural walls inside a flat, depending on the nature and scale of the works, it may be necessary to notify the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) of the Housing Bureau prior to the commencement of the works and/or upon their completion according to the Minor Works Control System. If the works involve alteration to the structure of the building or fire safety, flat owners should seek advice from building professionals to ensure that the alteration works comply with the Buildings Ordinance and relevant regulations. For example, alterations to kitchen partitioning or decoration works for conversion into an open kitchen must first be approved by the ICU. In short, regardless of construction methods, such as MiC, volumetric precast bathrooms and kitchens or planar precast components, the design and construction should be carried out in accordance with the established quality control requirements of the HA, including fabrication testing, installation and inspection procedures. Any restrictions on future modification works have no relation to the construction method used in the project, but the structural design itself. This principle has always been upheld and applicable to different SSF projects.
 
     Regarding the design of SSF, HA’s current kitchen designs aim to facilitate the habit of traditional families in cooking with open flames, and hence the kitchens are equipped with four fire-rated partition walls and fire-rated doors to comply with relevant provisions. We understand that as society constantly changes, people’s living and dietary habits also evolve, and hence residents may have new demands for the design layouts of kitchens. For example, small families of singletons or two tend to prefer simpler cooking styles. Looking ahead, in view of these changes, we are actively exploring the feasibility of adopting an open kitchen design in smaller flats to keep abreast of the times. That said, the design of open kitchens requires addition of automatic sprinkler systems and other additional fire services installations. These fire services installations will also have to be inspected annually by registered fire services installations contractors. We will conduct a comprehensive study on the construction cost effectiveness and future maintenance as well as other issues.
 
     Noting that most HOS owners carry out decoration works according to their own needs, we have decided to introduce design enhancements for HOS projects to be put up for sale starting from 2025, including removal of some provisions that many residents opined as unnecessary in resident surveys and have no relation to regulatory requirements, such as removal of kitchen cooking slab and drying rods in bathrooms to provide owners with greater flexibility in selecting preferable models.
 
     Providing simple, decent and affordable HOS has all along been the vision of the HA. In the future, we will continue to strive for excellence by introducing new materials and technologies to suit the changes in society, and ensure success in every project that we are driving.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHealth), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of healthcare providers registered with eHealth so far, together with a breakdown by type of institutions (i.e. public hospitals, public clinics, private hospitals, and private healthcare institutions (including clinics, residential care homes for the elderly and social welfare organisations providing healthcare services));
 
(2) of the number of healthcare personnel registered with eHealth so far, together with a breakdown by profession (i.e. doctors, dentists, Chinese medicine practitioners and other healthcare personnel);
 
(3) given that in the reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2024-2025, the Secretary for Health has indicated that as the health data contribution to eHealth by private healthcare institutions has remained extremely low, the Government has rolled out the eHealth Adoption Sponsorship Pilot Scheme to facilitate seamless data upload from the clinical management systems of private doctors to eHealth, and will progressively require all private healthcare institutions participating in all government-funded or subsidised health programmes to upload health records of the relevant service users onto eHealth, whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of the aforesaid measures;
 
(4) as the Government indicated last year that it would consider amending the Electronic Health Record Sharing System Ordinance (Cap. 625) to require healthcare providers to deposit specified essential health data in the personalised eHealth accounts of members of the public and to streamline the consent process of eHealth, of the progress of the relevant legislative amendment exercise;
 
(5) as it is learnt that quite a number of members of the public, especially the elderly, choose to seek medical treatment on the Mainland at present, whether the Government will make more extensive use of electronic health records across the boundary, such as by enhancing the eHealth system to allow members of the public to upload their non-local health record information onto the eHealth for local healthcare professionals’ reference, thereby achieving the data connectivity between two places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     eHealth is a city-wide electronic health record sharing system launched by the Government in 2016 that enables citizens to authorise healthcare providers (HCPs) in the public and private sectors to view and share their electronic health records (eHRs) for healthcare purposes. Building on the strengths of the infrastructure of eHealth, the Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address the initiative to roll out a five-year development plan of eHealth+ to transform eHealth into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates multiple functions of data sharing, service delivery and care journey management. eHealth+ aims to facilitate care co-ordination, cross-sector collaboration, as well as health management and surveillance, thereby better serving our citizens in obtaining optimal healthcare services, and supporting the healthcare reform and various healthcare policies more effectively, such as primary healthcare and cross-boundary healthcare services. The Government is taking forward the eHealth+ plan in phases in accordance with the patient-centric principle and four strategic directions, namely, One Health Record, One Care Journey, One Digital Front Door to Empowering Tool and One Health Data Repository.
 
     In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) As of end-February 2025, eHealth has covered over 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s population and the majority of public and private HCPs. The number of HCPs registered with eHealth by the type of organisation is tabulated as follows:
 

Type of HCP	Number of HCPs Registered with eHealth (on an Organisational Basis)	Number of Healthcare Service Locations Registered with eHealth
Public hospitals (i.e. hospitals under the HA)	1	43
Public clinics (e.g. clinics under the HA and the Department of Health)	11	390
Other public HCPs (e.g. District Health Centres)	20	217
Private hospitals	13	43
Other private HCPs (e.g. clinics, residential care homes for the elderly, and social welfare organisations providing healthcare services)	3 681	6 018
Total	3 726	6 711

     Besides, as of end-February 2025, about 58 800 healthcare professionals (HCProfs) have registered with eHealth. The number of registered HCProfs by profession is tabulated as follows: 
 

Type of HCProf	Number of HCProfs Registered with eHealth	Percentage of Registered HCProfs
Doctor	13 190	82%
Dentist	1 731	60%
Chinese medicine practitioner	966	9%
Other HCProfs (include nurse, pharmacist, and radiographer)	42 940	48%
Total	58 827	49%

(3) and (4) Under the strategic development direction of One Health Record, the Government seeks to consolidate the longitudinal eHRs of citizens that are spread across a multitude of healthcare processes into their personal eHealth accounts. A comprehensive eHR profile enables the HCPs authorised by citizens to respond to their health needs more effectively, thus enhancing clinical outcomes and saving costs of the care process. Nevertheless, while private HCPs have been actively using eHealth in supporting clinical processes as evidenced by the fact that nearly 60 per cent of eHR access by HCPs as of end-February 2025 were by private HCPs, more than 99 per cent of some 4.5 billion eHRs shared on eHealth are from public HCPs.  

     The Government has been taking a multi-pronged approach to encourage and facilitate the deposit of citizens’ eHRs into eHealth by private HCPs, thereby assisting citizens in accessing, managing and using their own eHRs during the healthcare process more conveniently. Last year, the Government launched a platform enabling self-service data compliance testing to simplify the technical testing procedures, and provided dedicated technical support to healthcare institutions. The Government also rolled out the eHealth Adoption Sponsorship Pilot Scheme (the Pilot Scheme) by partnering with electronic medical record (eMR) solutions vendors and medical groups to co-fund system enhancements in achieving seamless eHR sharing between eHealth and eMR systems in the market. With the Government’s endeavours, the eHRs deposited by private HCPs into eHealth in a year increased from 2.19 million in 2023 to 3.67 million in 2024. From July 2023 to February 2025, about 80 private HCPs (involving around 480 private doctors and 200 service locations) connected to eHealth and deposited more than 1.12 million eHRs through the Pilot Scheme.  

     In future, the Government will continue to collaborate with the private healthcare sector to enhance the connectivity between eHealth and their eMR solutions. In particular, given the positive impacts of the Pilot Scheme, the Government has progressively expanded the Scheme to include more eMR solution vendors, medical groups and other sectors, including Chinese medicine. The Government will also launch the eHealth+ accreditation scheme in 2025 to enable citizens to easily identify if an HCP has the capability to deposit health records into their personal eHealth accounts and the extent of data involved, with a view to facilitating citizens in choosing suitable HCPs after making reference to such information, thereby ensuring that their medical records will be deposited in their personal eHealth accounts. 

     Besides, the Government introduced the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (Amendment) Bill 2025 (the Amendment Bill) into the Legislative Council to provide a legal framework to assist citizens in building a more comprehensive eHR. Among other things, the Amendment Bill will streamline the consent mechanism such that once citizens agree to join eHealth, their HCPs will be able to deposit health data into their personal eHealth accounts. Meanwhile, citizens will continue to retain full control over their personal data and can grant individual HCPs access to their eHealth records at their own will. The Amendment Bill will also empower the Secretary for Health to require specified HCPs to deposit specified important health data into the personal eHealth accounts of citizens registered with eHealth with their consents, in order to assist citizens in accessing and controlling of their key health information.  

     The Government will continue to provide support and collaborate with the private healthcare sector to enable the majority of private HCPs to seamlessly connect with eHealth and will also consider providing additional assistance to healthcare institutions and HCProfs that are less prepared for digitalisation.

(5) With the ever-tighter economic and social integration between Hong Kong and the Mainland, Hong Kong citizens making use of healthcare services in the Mainland, especially in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), is becoming more common. To support citizens’ cross-boundary healthcare needs, the Government has been working to enable citizens to self-carry their eHRs for cross-boundary uses via eHealth to enhance the continuity of care across the boundary. Among other things, the Government in 2024 introduced the “Cross-boundary Health Record” (CBHR) and “Personal Folder” functions in the eHealth mobile application (eHealth App) at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and seven medical institutions under the Elderly Health Care Voucher (EHCV) Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme. The CBHR function enables eligible Hong Kong elderly persons using EHCV at specified healthcare institutions to apply for a copy of their eHRs in eHealth over the past three years through the eHealth App in advance. HCProfs of the specified healthcare institutions can then access and browse the relevant eHRs by scanning the QR codes presented by the elderly person at the time of consultation to assist in diagnoses and treatment. The “Personal Folder” function enables citizens to deposit eHRs obtained during consultations within and outside Hong Kong to their personal eHealth accounts on their own to facilitate storage and use of eHRs, including access by Hong Kong HCPs authorised by users through the eHealth system during follow-up care.
   
     The feedback on relevant cross-boundary functions has been positive. The Government will continue to streamline the workflow and improve the user experience, and extend the relevant cross-boundary functions to more medical institutions under cross-boundary healthcare collaboration programmes in a progressive manner, as well as enhance the role of eHealth as the core system for cross-boundary health data sharing. The Government noted that citizens carrying their own eHRs for cross-boundary use each time is not the most convenient, secure, and effective way for both citizens and HCPs. For example, given the more stringent technical requirements, it is difficult for citizens to self-upload high-resolution radiology images to their eHealth accounts. In accordance with the current legislation, HCPs outside Hong Kong are unable to register with eHealth. To support citizens’ needs more effectively, the Government proposed in the Amendment Bill to empower the Commissioner for the Electronic Health Record to recognise individual HCPs and public health record systems outside Hong Kong, subject to sufficient protection of data privacy and system security as well as due compliance with specified requirements and conditions. This will enable citizens to use their eHRs across the boundary in a more convenient and secure manner. If an individual citizen uses services at a recognised HCP outside Hong Kong, he/she can choose to authorise the HCP to securely access his/her eHealth records and deposit the health records of the services received into his/her personal eHealth account, with a view to enhancing the quality and safety of cross-boundary healthcare services. HCPs outside Hong Kong can only access and deposit citizens’ eHealth records when a registered citizen provides explicit consent when using its services. Under no other circumstances will eHealth records be transmitted across the boundary.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Hongkong Post announced today (March 26) that, as advised by the postal administration of Malta, due to the implementation of a new import system by the local customs, mail delivery services to the country are subject to delay.

Source:

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07 March, 2025) – Diesel removal operation by the Salvage Company (“salvors”) contracted by New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), has come to an end, but further fuel extraction efforts and other recovery works continue on the sunken HMNZS Manawanui.

 The diesel removal operation is only Phase 1 of the long recovery process. The priority is minimizing environmental impacts and ensuring a careful, thorough operation. The diesel removal operation started in the last week of December, 2024.

 The salvors have reached and checked the fuel tanks, compartments, and other locations that could contain diesel fuel, oil, and other pollutants on the vessel.

 In total, 55 tanks and compartments were reached and checked. Ten tanks were not accessed as they were known to be either empty or not to contain pollutants.

 Over 320,000 litres of diesel fuel mixed with seawater have been removed, and from this, just over 300,000 litres of usable diesel fuel have been extracted.

Another 45,000 litres of liquid, including waste oils and diesel fuel/seawater, have also been removed and will be returned to New Zealand and processed for safe disposal.

Final amounts will be confirmed once assessments are completed.

 As stated at the beginning of this work, while there may be a very small amount of residual diesel fuel remaining in the vessel, the team is confident that the salvors have been extremely careful and thorough. The salvors have checked tanks, compartments, and other locations that could contain diesel fuel, oil, and other pollutants.

 Regular testing by the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) has reported consistently low hydrocarbons and confirmed that the seawater and marine life in this area are clear and uncontaminated.

As a result, the precautionary zone in the area that carried a warning on fishing was reduced and eventually removed in February, 2025. Regular testing will continue.

 Continuous environmental monitoring by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in collaboration with SPREP and relevant agencies, has shown that the diesel fuel that initially escaped into the sea dissipated relatively quickly, evaporating due to wind and wave action, as is typical for this type of light diesel fuel.

 All recovered items and the remaining unprocessed liquids will be transported back to New Zealand for processing and safe disposal.

Acknowledgement:

The MPAC Chairman and CEO MWTI, Afioga Fui Tupai Mau Simanu, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation to the village of Tafitoala, the district of Safata, and the general public for your unwavering support during the extraction works carried out by the salvors.

The dedication and spirit of community you have shown have played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this operation, and we are deeply thankful for the vital role each of you has played.

For more information:

Contact Makerita Atonio-Iese, ACEO Maritime Division of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure on makerita.atonio@mwti.gov.ws or call 21611

END.

SOURCE – Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure Samoa

March 26, 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace in meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang

Date：2025-03-23
Data Source：TAIWAN-JAPAN RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

March 23, 2025Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya met with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Tokyo on March 22. During the meeting, Minister Iwaya expressed concern over China’s military activities targeting Taiwan and reiterated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were of utmost importance to Japan and the international community. He also called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. The government of Japan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of cross-strait peace and stability at major international events in recent years, urging the global community to pay attention to security across the Taiwan Strait. These events included the US-Japan summit and the trilateral meeting between the US secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, both in February, as well as the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in March.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks Japan for continuing to follow security developments across the Taiwan Strait and staunchly supporting cross-strait peace and stability. He stresses that Taiwan has consistently welcomed international actions that contribute to safeguarding regional peace. Taiwan is committed to steadily enhancing its self-defense capabilities and bolstering cooperation with like-minded nations to jointly uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to defense white paper stressing importance of cross-strait peace to Europe issued by European Commission and EU high representative

Date：2025-03-20
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

March 20, 2025  

The European Commission and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on March 19 issued the joint White Paper for European Defence—Readiness 2030. The paper expressed great concern over China’s rapid military buildup, noting that China was intensifying coercive political, economic, military, cyber, and cognitive measures against Taiwan. It emphasized that a shifting Taiwan status quo raised the risk of a major disruption that would have profound economic and strategic consequences for Europe.
 
The white paper also underscored the paramount importance of critical raw materials to economic and industrial production, defense capabilities, and competitiveness, adding that they were increasingly a cause for competition and conflict as an aspect of power politics. It pointed out that an escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait could cut off EU access to critical materials, technologies, and components. The paper further called attention to the cross-border challenges posed by hybrid threats and cyberattacks, noting that these would be addressed by the EU through greater security cooperation with like-minded partners worldwide.
 
In June 2023, the European Council summit adopted conclusions that for the first time included content highlighting EU concern over growing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. This affirmed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are a common concern shared by the 27 EU member states. Last year, the European External Action Service (EEAS) issued statements in prompt response to China’s Joint Sword-2024A and Joint Sword-2024B military drills, stressing the strategic importance of cross-strait peace and stability to regional and global security and prosperity as well as the EU’s direct interest in the preservation of the Taiwan Strait status quo. 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes and appreciates the EU’s continued close attention to developments across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific, intense concern over all forms of Chinese coercion targeting Taiwan, and staunch support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Minister Lin reiterates that Taiwan will steadily deepen cooperation and exchanges with the EU and other like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the core values of freedom and democracy, uphold the rules-based international order, and demonstrate to the world its determination to defend its democracy.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

March 19, 2025  

In response to media inquiries regarding China’s recent joint combat readiness patrols near the Taiwan Strait, the United States Department of State reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Taiwan across decades and administrations. It stressed that the United States would continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, information, and diplomatic pressure campaigns, as well as reiterating that the United States, along with international partners, staunchly supported cross-strait peace and stability and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. It also pointedly noted that China could not issue brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan and still expect the international community to believe in China’s self-proclaimed role as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world.
 
Regarding China’s comments on the 20th anniversary of its so-called “Anti-secession Law,” the US State Department cited public remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he indicated that the United States would not alter its long-standing position of opposing any unilateral, forced, compelled, or coercive change to the status of Taiwan. The United States further emphasized that what had changed was the threat that China posed to Taiwan, including what Beijing referred to as a set of 22 judicial guidelines to impose criminal punishments on diehard Taiwan independence separatists, issued last year. In particular, the US State Department added that over the past 20 years, China’s intimidation campaign against Taiwan and Taiwan’s supporters in the United States and elsewhere had gone global, threatening free speech, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and eroding norms that had underpinned the cross-strait status quo for decades. The US State Department said that in the face of such provocative and irresponsible actions by China, the United States remained committed to maintaining its ability to deter aggression and resist any use of force or other forms of coercion to protect the Taiwanese people from intimidation and harm. 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the US State Department for reaffirming the United States’ staunch commitment to Taiwan, opposing the use of force or coercion to alter the status quo, and explicitly calling out China’s brazen and irresponsible threats, as well as its attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. 
 
Recent actions have repeatedly proven that it is China that causes trouble across the Taiwan Strait and around the globe and seeks to unilaterally change the status quo. The international community sees through China’s ruse of attempting to deflect attention away from its own disruptive behavior and hypocrisy to bolster its reputation. 
 
Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to work with the United States to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Taiwan urges nations worldwide to demonstrate collective concern over China’s military threats, lawfare and other gray-zone tactics, and unilateral actions that escalate regional tensions.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

March 24, 2025No. 082In a cross-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on March 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih decided to form a new smart agriculture advisory team. The team will bring together public and private resources from the government, industry, academia, research institutions, the agricultural industry, and other sectors. In the spirit of integrated diplomacy, the new group will jointly implement a smart agriculture flagship plan under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. Through coordination with diplomatic allies and friendly countries, the plan will enhance AI and digital technology applications in precision agriculture and other areas. Taiwan will work with partner countries to develop new smart agriculture, promote an agricultural Taiwan+n model (where n refers to a growing number of partners), and help the Taiwanese agricultural industry expand globally. Collaboration between Taiwan, partner countries, and friendly nations will also strengthen global food security, improve agricultural sustainability and resilience, and deliver a concerted response to the challenges of climate change.During the meeting at MOA, Minister Lin, Minister Chen, and their staff discussed how to expand agricultural cooperation projects with allies and friendly countries and create reciprocal and mutually beneficial business opportunities. They explored ways to assist countries in upgrading and transforming their farming sectors, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and achieving sustainable development. Potential avenues included technical cooperation, professional training, the establishment of demonstration sites, and business and investment matchmaking. The officials also discussed how to train young farmers and specialists in new smart agriculture both in Taiwan and target countries to give them a competitive edge.Meanwhile, the ministers deliberated on three key projects—expanding agricultural cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines under the Executive Yuan’s economic diplomacy task force, further promoting smart aquacultural cooperation with Palau to develop its tourism industry, and exploring the possibility of cooperation to establish a seedling center in the Caribbean. They also exchanged views on organizing an agricultural trade goodwill mission to the United States in September.The agricultural industry is the bedrock of Taiwan’s economy and food security. President Lai Ching-te’s National Project of Hope includes the promotion of agricultural transformation and advancement to achieve sustainable resilience. The Executive Yuan’s Smart Taiwan 2.0 initiative also develops creative applications across various sectors. Under these policies and based on the new agriculture section of the Five Plus Two Industrial Innovation program, Minister Lin has launched a raft of new initiatives. These include promoting the concept of new smart agriculture; expanding applications of AI and smart solutions in agricultural production, management, and marketing; collaborating with MOA’s smart agriculture alliances; transforming agriculture to become smarter and more sustainable; and creating an international fleet focused on Taiwan’s new smart agriculture.Looking ahead, MOFA and MOA will continue working with partners from various sectors to assist diplomatic allies and friendly countries in adopting smart agricultural technology to enhance food security, realize sustainable development, and create shared prosperity and mutual benefits. In line with President Lai’s vision for sustainable resilience, the ministries will further contribute to global agricultural development and food security. MOFA and MOA will jointly support the efforts of Taiwanese agricultural businesses to expand their presence in the international market and ensure that Taiwan remains a thriving global economic powerhouse. (E) 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA sincerely thanks Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting resolution backing Taiwan and highlighting fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan

Date：2025-03-21
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

March 21, 2025  
No. 079  

The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium adopted a resolution on March 20 expressing concern over the growing threat of China to Taiwan. It passed with an overwhelming majority of 126 votes in favor, none against, and 13 abstentions. The resolution called on the government of Belgium to condemn through diplomatic channels China’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan and to demand that China alleviate tensions, end all provocations, and respect the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. It further noted that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not take a position on Taiwan, and urged the Belgian government to clarify this fact at the United Nations. 
 
In addition, the resolution advocated for the Belgian government to work with European partners to play an active role in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, and pursue an economic agreement with Taiwan at the European Union-level to strengthen supply chain resilience. It also called on all levels of government in Belgium to collectively foster economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation with Taiwan; support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other international organizations; and continue to enhance civil society and media exchanges with Taiwan to jointly combat disinformation. 
 
The resolution was introduced by Representative Els Van Hoof, Co-president of the Belgium-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Belgian Chamber of Representatives adopted Taiwan-friendly resolutions in November 2015 and July 2020. This latest resolution was the first to condemn China’s threats against Taiwan and the first to be passed by the current Belgian parliament since it opened last July, which was of special significance to the advancement of Taiwan-Belgium relations. 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for its support and emphasizes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will build on the existing solid foundation to steadily deepen substantive exchanges and friendly cooperation between Taiwan and Belgium. (E) 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

The To promote ESG and SDGs sustainable development principles, the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Branch of the Bureau of Industrial Parks (BIP) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), held a public blood drive titled “Donate Blood to Help Others and Keep Love Alive” on the 27th at Cianjhen Technology Industrial Park. The event received enthusiastic participation from 15 companies, including Mutual Love Social Welfare Care Association, Health Center (Kaosiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital team), Radiant Opto-Electronics Corp., STL Technology Co., Ltd., Emerging Display Technologies Corp., Taiflex Scientific Co., Ltd., Mitsui High-Tech (TAIWAN) Co., Ltd., Nitto Denko Corp., Kaohsiung Opto-Electronics Inc., CTS Components Taiwan, Ltd., Walton Advanced Engineering, Inc., JET Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Walsin Technology Corp., Taiwan Sugar Corporation Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan IC Packaging Corp.. Many employees and community members joined the event, creating an atmosphere filled with warmth and positive energy.
At the event, Director Yu Shu-Hui of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Branch presented trophies to co-organizing units, expressing gratitude for their strong support. She remarked, “I sincerely thank every blood donor for their selfless contribution and every staff member for their dedication. This heartwarming public welfare event has infused the New Year with love and vitality. We look forward to more companies and partners joining us in the future, continuing to spread kindness and warmth throughout society.”
To enhance donor convenience, three mobile blood donation units were deployed, along with a “real-time waiting queue tracker” to minimize wait times. The event began at 9:00 AM, and donors eagerly lined up, demonstrating overwhelming enthusiasm. According to the blood donation center, the event successfully recruited over 300 donors, collecting nearly 120,000 c.c. of blood, significantly replenishing the blood supply for urgent medical needs and showcasing the park’s strong commitment to public welfare.
Beyond blood donation, the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Branch’s Ethics Office, Environmental and Labor Affairs Division, Police Unit, Min-Sheng Hospital, and Cianjhen Public Health Center set up informational booths covering a range of important topics. These included anti-corruption awareness, Act of Gender Equality in Employment, fraud prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, infectious disease control, smoking cessation, and chronic disease prevention-all aimed at enhancing health literacy and fostering a more supportive and informed community.
The event “Donate Blood to Help Others and Keep Love Alive” campaign not only contributed life-saving blood donations but also conveyed a profound message of care and social responsibility. The Kaohsiung-Pingtung Branch of BIP emphasized that its commitment to the principle of “Taken from the community, giving back to society”, pledging to organize more charitable initiatives in collaboration with enterprises in the industrial park to uphold sustainable development and extend the power of compassion.

Contact Person: Chen, Yi-Jun Environmental and Labor Affairs Division of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung Branch)
Contact Number: 886-7-8239-347
Email: kepzhf@bip.gov.tw