Month: July 2026

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

July 12, 2026  
No. 320  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reaffirms that the sovereignty claims and relevant policies of the ROC (Taiwan) regarding the South China Sea Islands remain unchanged. Taiwan adheres to the following four principles for South China Sea issues:

1. Disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;

2. Taiwan should be included in multilateral dispute settlement mechanisms;

3. Relevant countries have an obligation to safeguard freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea; and

4. The ROC advocates addressing South China Sea disputes in line with the principles of setting aside differences and promoting joint development. Through negotiations conducted on the basis of equality, it is willing to work with other countries to advance regional peace and stability and protect and develop South China Sea resources.

In accordance with these principles, Taiwan continues to actively work with relevant countries to promote stability in the South China Sea and uphold the values of peace, humanitarianism, ecology, sustainability, and prosperity in the region through five concrete actions: protection of fishing rights, participation in multilateral consultations, scientific collaboration, providing humanitarian assistance, and encouraging research on the law of the sea. 

Taiwan is a responsible member of the international community and a key stakeholder in the South China Sea. MOFA reiterates that Taiwan must not be excluded from any discussions concerning its rights and interests or the norms of conduct in the region so as to ensure the legitimacy of such discussions.

As a reliable maritime partner, Taiwan’s claims to sovereignty and rights over the South China Sea Islands are based on international law and the law of the sea. Using Taiping Island as a base, Taiwan promotes maritime cooperation, environmental conservation, humanitarian assistance, and scientific research in the South China Sea, fully demonstrating its commitment to advancing regional peace, stability, and joint development.

MOFA opposes any unilateral expansionism, gray-zone coercion, militarization, and other behaviour that undermines peace in the South China Sea. It calls on all relevant parties to strictly abide by international law, honor the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes, and refrain from taking any actions that escalate tensions, create conflict, and undermine regional peace and stability. Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded countries and regional partners to jointly uphold peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and ensure a free, open, peaceful, and stable international order. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA strongly refutes false claims made in joint statement regarding Taiwan by China following meeting with Namibia

Date：2026-07-11
Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

July 11, 2026  No. 319  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly refutes false claims made in a statement released following a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during the latter’s state visit to China on July 10. The statement referred to the falsehood of the “one China principle” and seriously infringed upon Taiwan’s sovereignty. 

MOFA reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign country, that neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other, and that Taiwan has never been a part of the PRC. These long-standing, objective facts are recognized by the international community and reflect the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Unilateral claims by any nation cannot change the established fact that Taiwan is a sovereign nation. Taiwan’s determination to staunchly defend its democratic system will not waver in the face of China’s coercion and threats.

MOFA strongly condemns China’s government for repeatedly using meetings with other heads of state to issue statements that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and mislead international opinion. Namibia’s subservient behavior also disregards international realities. MOFA calls on the international community to recognize Beijing’s expansionist authoritarian nature and jointly push back against its malicious lies. MOFA reiterates that Taiwan will steadfastly uphold the values of freedom and democracy and collaborate with allies and like-minded nations to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

President Lai confers decoration on French Office in Taipei Director Franck Paris
On the morning of July 15, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on French Office in Taipei Director Franck Paris in recognition of his outstanding contributions to strengthening Taiwan-France relations and promoting bilateral political interactions as well as exchanges and cooperation across a wide range of fields during his tenure. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope that the Taiwan-France partnership will continue to deepen and lead to even more fruitful cooperative achievements based on the solid foundations laid by Director Paris.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
Today, by conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, I would like to express, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, our deepest gratitude for the outstanding contributions of Director Franck Paris. I recall when Director Paris assumed his post in 2023, he pledged to unite French businesses and the French community in Taiwan as “Team France” to strongly advance our bilateral ties. Over these past few years, we have deeply felt his enthusiasm and innovative spirit, which have elevated Taiwan-France relations to new strategic heights. Despite the demands of his official duties, he also took the time to learn Mandarin. This demonstration of his commitment to Taiwan and integration into Taiwanese society is truly moving.
Many important milestones in Taiwan-France political interaction have been achieved during Director Paris’s tenure, including France’s reception of former President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit in 2024, which was an event of great significance for our bilateral relations. Furthermore, under President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, France has consistently been a strong voice for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and broader region, as demonstrated in the joint statement by the leaders of Japan and France, as well as the G7 Leaders’ Summit joint statement. The people of Taiwan have been deeply touched by this friendship shown by France in stepping forward to support us.
Aside from standing by us politically, Director Paris has actively promoted exchanges and collaboration across a wide range of fields, including advancing the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, which gave over 100 Taiwanese youth the opportunity to travel to France to pursue their aspirations. Last Thursday, the French Office in Taipei hosted a reception showcasing the program’s achievements. Director Paris and I heard the young participants share their experiences, and I gained valuable insights. I would like to thank him once again for his tremendous help.
I believe that through the efforts of Director Paris, the people of Taiwan have come to see France not only as a country of arts and culture, but also as a country of science and a steadfast partner walking shoulder to shoulder with us. Looking to the future, Taiwan hopes to remain an important partner to France in advancing its goals of strategic autonomy and reindustrialization. We will continue writing new chapters for the collaboration of our two nations based on the solid foundations laid by Director Paris.
Director Paris once observed that Taiwan can be addictive, and that he had never met anyone who had visited Taiwan and said they would not like to return. Though I am deeply saddened by Director Paris’s imminent return to France, I wish him every success and know that he will shine brightly in his new role. Taiwan will always be your home, and I warmly welcome you back anytime to play football, visit your beloved Hualien, and see old friends. Let us continue to witness together the deepening of Taiwan-France relations and bring about even more fruitful achievements.
Director Paris then delivered remarks, sincerely thanking President Lai and saying that it is a great honor to receive the decoration. He emphasized that this award reflects the collective efforts of his team, and said that he wishes to share the honor with his colleagues at the French Office in Taipei. He also thanked Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its longstanding cooperation and support, as well as General Manager Frank Liang (梁又文) of C SUN Manufacturing Ltd. for providing him with a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and opening up many opportunities for industrial cooperation and exchanges. 
The director thanked President Lai for continuing to advance ties between Taiwan and France, as well as ties between Taiwan and Europe, noting that this cooperation has produced tangible results in many sectors. Regarding technology, he highlighted Foxconn’s investments in France in areas such as semiconductors and AI. In regards to cultural exchanges, he said that he was pleased to see the Alliance Française de Taïwan would soon relocate and reopen, and thanked the government of Taiwan for supporting the project.
Director Paris also noted that political exchanges between Taiwan and France have made significant progress. In recent months, he said, senior officials from Taiwan – including leaders from the National Science and Technology Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture – had visited France and received a warm welcome. He stressed that France is indeed a steadfast partner of Taiwan, and will always be committed to defending international law. He also expressed that economically, Taiwan and France are not competitors, but collaborative partners that complement each other in areas such as space, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.
Looking ahead, Director Paris said that even after assuming his new role as head of the Paris Peace Forum, he will continue to promote Taiwan-France relations. He also expressed confidence that his successor, who is scheduled to assume their position next month, will receive a warm welcome from Taiwan. Finally, he thanked the people of Taiwan for their warmth and hospitality, and said that he will always be a friend to Taiwan in France.
Also in attendance at the ceremony was French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.
 
 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Lands Department today posted land resumption notices to facilitate public housing developments at Tai Kei Leng and Shap Pat Heung in Yuen Long.

The land resumption includes 47 private lots totalling 18,410 sq m at Tai Kei Leng, and 89 private lots with a total area of 36,348 sq m at Shap Pat Heung. The sites will revert to the Government on October 17.

The developments at Shap Pat Heung and Tai Kei Leng respectively will provide about 4,000 and about 2,000 public housing units, with population intake anticipated for 2034 and 2036.

The Government said it will liaise with affected parties regarding compensation and rehousing.

Source: Government of Singapore

16 July 2026 – The prevailing Southwest Monsoon conditions are forecast to persist over Singapore and the surrounding region in the next fortnight with the low-level winds blowing from the southeast or southwest on most days.

2            In the second half of July 2026, short-duration thundery showers are expected over some parts of Singapore, between the late morning and afternoon on most days. On one or two days, large-scale convergence of winds over Singapore and the surrounding region may bring widespread moderate to heavy thundery showers. In addition, Sumatra squalls may bring island-wide thundery showers and gusty winds during the pre-dawn and early morning hours on one or two days. The total rainfall for the second half of July 2026 is forecast to be near average over most parts of the island.

3            The daily maximum temperatures are likely to range between 33 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days and slightly exceed 34 degrees Celsius on days with less cloud cover. A few nights may be warm and humid, with temperatures remaining above 28 degrees Celsius, particularly over the southern and eastern coastal areas of the island.

4            For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.

 
REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (1 – 15 July 2026)

 5            Southwest Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region with the winds blowing mostly from the southeast or southwest.

6            In the first half of July 2026, localised short-duration thundery showers fell over parts of the island during the late morning and afternoon on most days. On 7 July 2026, moderate to heavy thundery showers affected many parts of Singapore in the morning and early afternoon. The daily total rainfall of 125.5 mm recorded around Jurong West on that day was the highest for the first half of July 2026.

7            Daily maximum temperatures ranged between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days. On three days, the daily maximum temperature reached 34 degrees Celsius or above, with the highest daily maximum of 34.4 degrees Celsius recorded at Sembawang and Scotts Road on 4 and 15 July 2026 respectively.

8            In the first half of July 2026, rainfall was below average for most parts of Singapore. The area around Sentosa registered rainfall of 80 per cent below average, while the area around Jurong West registered rainfall of 108 per cent above average.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE
16 Jul 2026

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Police Force’s National Security Department (NSD) arrested five people in Mong Kok today on suspicion of committing seditious acts.

The operation was launched following a referral from the Customs and Excise Department, which had earlier intercepted an overseas shipment containing a batch of books with seditious intent. 

Following investigations, NSD officers searched two shops in Mong Kok. They arrested two men, aged 37 and 57, and three women, aged between 30 and 59, on suspicion of “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention”, contravening section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Police investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly displayed items with seditious intent and sold publications with seditious content inside the shops.

These publications contained content inciting hatred against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. A batch of books was seized during the operation.

All five individuals remain in custody for further investigation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force (NSD) received a referral from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, that a batch of books with seditious intention was intercepted inside a consignment shipped to Hong Kong from overseas.  

Following investigations, the NSD conducted an operation today (July 15). Officers searched two shops in Mong Kok and arrested two men aged 37 and 57 respectively, and three women aged between 30 and 59. They were suspected of contravening the offence of “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” under Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Police investigations revealed that the five arrestees are suspected of displaying items with seditious intent and selling publications with seditious content inside the shops. The contents of these publications involved inciting hatred against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. A batch of books with seditious intention was seized from the shops.

The five arrested persons are being detained for investigation.

Police remind members of the public that “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” is a serious offence. Upon first conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years. Members of the public are urged not to defy the law.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Joephy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (July 15):

Question:

The Government is actively aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and promoting the development of “Artificial Intelligence Plus”, and is continuously promoting the application of AI in government affairs to support economic and social transformation and upgrading. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the 1823 Contact Centre currently adopts AI technology mainly for handling public enquiries, complaints or service requests, whether the Government will consider utilising AI for post-case compilation, consolidation and analysis of data, for example, by introducing a “one issue per month” system to regularly focus on high-frequency complaints, as well as a “one issue per district” system to focus on high-frequency district-level feedback, and regularly reporting key public concerns in each district to the respective District Councils and District Offices, so as to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues and put forward targeted solutions; if so, of the details; if not, whether the Government will consider implementing the relevant proposals;

(2) as chapter 13, section 3 of the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China mentions enhancing the level of digital and intelligent governance, whether the Government will draw on the experience of the Mainland’s “12345 government service hotline” to proactively identify issues of long-standing public concern through 1823’s big data, and incorporate this into Hong Kong’s first five-year plan to formulate reform targets;

(3) during the period from January to May this year, among the cases handled by 1823 relating to “Service Request/Complaint Handling”, those involving multiple departments accounted for three per cent; of the following information regarding such cases: (i) the shortest and longest time from receipt to completion of handling and responding to the customer; (ii) the main government departments involved; (iii) the types and contents of the cases; and (iv) the level of customer satisfaction (with a full score of five); regarding case follow-up, whether the Government will strengthen on-site verification and conduct ongoing monitoring; if so, of the details;

(4) in response to a Member’s question in this Council on June 11 last year, the Government indicated that it would further strengthen the 1823 mechanisms for case classification, triage and referral, further expand the use or trial of AI technology in different service areas and interfaces, and enhance the chatbot’s question-answering capabilities; of the areas of improvement in the relevant technology, the effectiveness of implementation and the changes in the number of cases handled to date;

(5) as the Mainland’s “12345 government service hotline” offers a wide range of services, including the provision of sign language video services to cater for people with hearing impairment, consultancy services for enterprises, and foreign language services to assist in answering enquiries from foreigners, whether the Government will refer to the service scope of this hotline to enhance 1823 services so as to cater for the needs of different groups; if so, of the detailed plans and directions; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) as Hong Kong occasionally encounters emergency incidents, and members of the public need various types of emergency support, such as temporary cold shelters and supplies replenishment, whether the Government will consider enhancing the logistical support capability of 1823 in handling emergency cases, such as integrating the hotlines of various government departments into 1823 and utilising AI to shorten handling time and speed up the dissemination of information; if so, of the detailed plans and directions; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Operated by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), 1823 handles enquiries, compliments and suggestions for 23 participating policy bureaux/departments (B/Ds), and receives all requests for government services/complaints about government services. For requests for government services/complaints, 1823 will record the case details and refer them to the appropriate B/Ds for handling. The responsible B/Ds will determine how to follow up and respond. 1823 will track the progress of the B/Ds’ replies and, upon request from the respective B/Ds, convey their reply to the service requestor/complainant.

Regarding the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan, our reply is as follows.

(1), (2) and (4) In 2025, 1823 launched a number of service enhancement initiatives, including enabling intelligent interoperability between the 1823 chatbot “Tammy” and the GovHK chatbot “Bonny”; providing 1823 services on the “iAM Smart” platform; enhancing the Geographic Information System and the business rule engine to improve the referral efficiency of cases in rural areas; and launching a digital self-service enquiry platform. These measures have effectively enhanced user experience and operational efficiency, enabling staff to focus on handling more complex cases, thereby alleviating the manpower pressure arising from the increase in complaint cases.

In addition, 1823 is now expanding the application of AI+ technology across various operational areas. This includes piloting the use of AI to analyse unstructured data from citizens’ calls and emails, automatically extracting information from service requests/complaints on specific topics and populating to the respective fields in the Customer Relationship Management System; using AI to analyse departments’ email replies to cases referred by 1823 to automatically identify cases for priority handling; and developing a Web App that allows citizens to use 1823 service directly through the “iAM Smart” platform without downloading the 1823 mobile application.

Regarding the proposals of “one issue per month” and “one issue per district”, 1823, as a data provider, will submit monthly reports to participating departments that categorise service requests/complaints by type and/or district. This enables departments to conduct comprehensive analysis by combining with their own data, thereby gaining a better understanding of public needs. In addition, 1823 will provide additional information upon request from individual B/Ds to facilitate in-depth analysis on specific topics or regional hot topics, and formulation of targeted improvement measures.

(3) From January to May 2026, 1823 received over 300 000 service requests/complaints, with an average referral time of approximately one hour. About three per cent of these cases required referral to multiple departments. These cases were mainly related to issues such as environmental hygiene, noise nuisance, or street obstructions, and usually involved more than one department. Upon receiving a referral from 1823, the relevant departments will determine the follow-up action and how to address the citizen’s request, and provides a substantive reply according to its performance pledge. If the citizen has any opinions on the department’s reply or follow-up actions, 1823 will relay them to the department concerned for further review and action. The overall user satisfaction rating for 1823 service was 4.6 (out of five). 1823 does not maintain separate user satisfaction levels for cases involving multiple departments.

(5) 1823 offers a variety of communication channels, including telephone, mobile application, web forms, and email, to facilitate use by citizens with different needs (including persons with disabilities). In addition to providing citizens with contact centre services, 1823 also handles enquiries from businesses regarding company registration, labour laws, etc. Apart from the existing biliteral and trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English) services, 1823 also collaborates with the Centre for Harmony and Enhancement of Ethnic Minority Residents to support calls in eight ethnic minority languages.

(6) 1823 has an emergency response mechanism in place and maintains close communication with various emergency departments and hotlines (such as the 999 Report Centre, the Highways Department, the Drainage Services Department, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department). For instance, when inclement weather-related emergencies occur (e.g. fallen trees, flooding, landslides and road blockages), 1823 will activate the mechanism to prioritise the handling and referral of urgent cases. In addition, 1823 will provide hotline support for major incidents upon request from departments.

The DPO will continue to actively explore technologies such as AI and will draw on the experiences of different places to continuously enhance the 1823 service.