MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin further refutes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang’s erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan

Date：2026-03-10
Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

March 10, 2026  
No. 074  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung strongly condemns the false claims made at a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Taiwan affairs are China’s internal affairs and that Japan has no right to interfere in them. 
 
Minister Lin underlines that there is a high degree of consensus in the international community on maintaining peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, which is in the interests of all parties in the region. Taiwan and Japan share many key ideals and values. Together with other like-minded partners, they jointly strive to uphold regional and cross-strait stability, contributing to the preservation of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.
 
Reiterating that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has always been an independent and sovereign country, Minister Lin states that Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to the people of Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan. The international community overwhelmingly recognizes that neither side is subordinate to the other. These objective facts reflect the status quo. Taiwanese society has reached a strong common understanding on these issues. No amount of rhetoric that distorts or disregards Taiwan’s sovereign status can change the reality that neither side of the Taiwan Strait is subordinate to the other.
 
Taiwan and Japan both uphold the values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. They are close friends and strong like-minded partners that enjoy long-standing public, private, and people-to-people ties. Based on these firm foundations, the two countries will continue to deepen cooperation in all spheres and promote comprehensive bilateral relations. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

March 8, 2026  
No. 070  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung firmly refutes erroneous remarks made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress, including false claims that China has sovereignty over Taiwan and that unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is an inevitable historical process and an international trend.
 
Minister Lin reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has always been an independent and sovereign country. Neither it nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is subordinate to the other. Whether in terms of historical truths, objective reality, or international law, Taiwan’s sovereignty has never belonged to China. Only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to decide Taiwan’s future. These facts cannot be rewritten by China.
 
After the end of World War II, the Treaty of San Francisco was signed. As a legally binding treaty under international law, it replaced the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and other political instruments. In the mid-1980s Taiwan started a process of liberalization and democratization, culminating in the completion of its first direct presidential election in 1996. Since then, representatives of the executive and legislative branches of the ROC government have been elected by the people of Taiwan, making it the only legitimate authority to effectively govern and represent Taiwan externally. This also established the status quo of the ROC (Taiwan) and the PRC existing on an equal footing, with neither being subordinate to the other.
 
China has long misrepresented United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, repeating the fallacy that it determines that Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to the PRC and using it as a pretext to suppress Taiwan’s international participation, which is utterly absurd. In fact, resolution was never intended to decide Taiwan’s status, let alone give the Beijing authorities the power to limit Taiwan’s international participation.
 
In recent years, Chinese military aircraft and ships have conducted exercises in the Taiwan Strait and around neighboring countries, seriously jeopardizing regional peace and stability. Yet, at the abovementioned press conference, Minister Wang attempted to shift the blame for recent cross-strait tensions onto Taiwan, ignoring China’s constant military provocations. China’s actions blatantly violate the principle of refraining from the threat or use of force set out in the UN Charter and have seriously disrupted global shipping, flights, and trade links. China is a troublemaker in the international community and a saboteur of peace across the Taiwan Strait.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Beijing authorities to respect the objective reality of the existence of the ROC (Taiwan), jointly uphold regional peace and stability, stop misleading the international community, and immediately cease its repeated and unwarranted provocations. Cross-strait relations will only be improved when China adopts a responsible attitude and engages in reasonable, rational, respectful, and equitable dialogue with the democratically elected government of Taiwan.
 
MOFA urges the international community to continue to support democratic Taiwan through concrete actions, jointly condemn China’s repeated attempts to unilaterally change the status quo through coercion and force, and denounce its intimidation and harassment of other countries. Taiwan, in unity with its democratic partners, will jointly uphold the democratic umbrella to collectively counter authoritarian aggression, defend universal values and the rules-based international order, and work together to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and security throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

March 7, 2026  No. 068  At the invitation of the government of Tuvalu, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung served as special presidential envoy in leading a delegation to Tuvalu in the South Pacific from March 4 to 5. The delegation was warmly received by the government and people of Tuvalu. After completing its itinerary, the group returned to Taiwan via Australia on the morning of March 7. The entire trip passed smoothly and successfully.During a visit to Taiwan in November 2025, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo joined President Lai Ching-te in witnessing the two governments sign the Taiwan-Tuvalu Kaitasi Treaty, the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation, and the Letter of Intent on Sports Exchange and Cooperation. Building upon this solid foundation of bilateral relations, President Lai appointed Minister Lin to visit Tuvalu as special envoy, highlighting his appreciation and regard for the friendship between Taiwan and Tuvalu.During his visit, Minister Lin met with Acting Governor General Afelee Pita, Prime Minister Teo, and Parliament Speaker Sir Iakoba Italeli, as well as cabinet ministers and other political figures and local leaders. He was also guest of honor at a state banquet hosted by Prime Minister Teo.Minister Lin also presided over a geological drilling ceremony at the site planned for Tuvalu’s new Parliament House. The structure is being constructed with support from Taiwan, demonstrating Taiwan’s emphasis on high-quality assistance projects.To mark the recent completion of the Taiwan-Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project—a program initiated in 2024 with financial investment from Taiwan and like-minded nations Australia and New Zealand—Minister Lin also used his visit to jointly preside over the completion and handover ceremony with the Tuvaluan side, showing Taiwan’s commitment to assisting Tuvalu in strengthening the country’s coastline and climate resilience through concrete action.In addition, Minister Lin witnessed the progress that Tuvalu has made in improving its external connectivity and digital resilience. In a first of its kind for Taiwan, it participated alongside the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in the planning and construction of Tuvalu’s Vaka submarine cable, resulting in the completion of the cable landing point in November 2024. This was part of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project’s flagship initiative concerning trusted internet networks and digital governance program. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to assist Tuvalu in building cybersecurity capacity and promote its RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables throughout the region so as to develop a more resilient security network for international undersea cables.During his visit, Minister Lin also represented the Ministry of Finance in signing an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between Taiwan and Tuvalu and conducted visits to inspect the results of bilateral cooperation in such areas as smart agriculture and smart medicine. It is hoped that both the signing and these achievements will spur more Taiwanese businesses to invest in Tuvalu going forward, as well as encourage Taiwan’s fisheries sector to capitalize on the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation signed last year, thereby deepening more diverse Taiwan-Tuvalu fisheries cooperation in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project.Since establishing diplomatic relations, Taiwan and Tuvalu have achieved remarkable results in a range of fields through long-term cooperation. Going forward, Taiwan will promote the further implementation of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project in accordance with its concept of integrated diplomacy, promoting public-private partnerships and strengthening relations with diplomatic allies. (E)

Source: Government of Singapore

12 March 2026 – Eleven students have been awarded the NEA-Industry Scholarship this year, the highest number since the inception of the programme to attract and groom talent for the Environmental Services (ES) industry. Speaking during the event as Guest-of-Honour, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Mr Janil Puthucheary, emphasised the industry’s indispensable role in providing essential services to Singapore, as well as the important role that NEA-Industry Scholars will play as they enter this industry.

Fifth NEA–Industry Scholarship Edition

2.        The fifth NEA-Industry Scholarship Programme saw 78 applications from students from Polytechnics [1] Upon graduation, the 11 scholarship recipients will take on roles such as Data Science Analyst Assistants, Management Trainees, Mechatronics Engineering Assistants, and Supervisors. Sponsoring organisations include BNL Group, Cimelia Resource Recovery Pte Ltd, Hong Ye Group Pte Ltd, LS 2 Services Pte Ltd, Re Sustainability Cleantech Pte Ltd, and RS Facilities Services Pte Ltd. 

3.          Amongst the recipients is Miss Balaji Elakkiya (20), a Year 2 student pursuing a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Singapore Polytechnic. [2]

• Passionate about environmental sustainability, she discovered her calling in ES after witnessing Singapore’s food waste challenges and the impact of litter during beach clean-up activities. 
• Driven to act, she programmed an Intelligent Bin for an Internet of Things (IoT) school project, using smart sensors to detect bin fill level and alert collection teams when emptying was needed. The project taught her how data drives decision-making and operational planning. 
• After graduation, she will join BNL Group as a Management Trainee, where Elakkiya looks forward to continuing her passion to protect the environment and the community, while ensuring clean, safe and liveable living spaces. 

4.             Another scholar is Ms Chong Rui En, Roxanne (20), a Year 3 student studying a Diploma in Mechatronics with Temasek Polytechnic. 

• Roxanne combines her strong engineering expertise with hands-on environmental sustainability experience. During an internship, she worked on a project to recycle lithium-ion batteries, and was involved in the research process, lab experimentation, computer aided design (CAD) modelling and flow simulations of the battery recycling processes. 
• The experience showed her that circular economy concepts and engineering can be deeply interrelated and reinforced her interest in the ES Industry. 
• In her future career with LS 2 Services as a Mechatronics Engineering Assistant, Roxanne hopes to be able to explore how technology could be applied to improve traditionally labour-intensive processes in the cleaning sector, and to contribute meaningfully to sustainable solutions and enhance workplace safety and efficiency.  

5.            Ms Michelle Yeo, Director of RS Facilities Services shared, “We view the programme as a strategic pathway to nurture future-ready leaders. By integrating academic learning with real-world experience, it strengthens business capabilities, elevates professionalism, and raises industry standards. There is an increasing demand for driven talents who bring fresh perspectives, innovation, and leadership to operations and management. RS Facilities Services has supported the programme for the three earlier editions, and we are happy to welcome Scholars such as Rafli who will infuse our operations with fresh ideas and rejuvenate existing work processes.” 

6.           Scholars at RS Facilities Services will gain hands-on exposure across operations, sustainability initiatives, smart cleaning technologies, data-driven optimisation, and business development. Through structured mentorship and project ownership, scholars with RS Facilities Services will develop practical expertise while contributing meaningfully to innovation, productivity, and enhance service excellence across the company’s portfolio. 

7.            The NEA-Industry Scholarship attracts young talent to the ES industry and continues to garner strong industry support. [3] Since the programme’s inception in February 2020, NEA has supported 36 students through the scholarship. As the industry navigates technology adoption, robotics, and higher service standards, companies find an increasing need for young talents who can inject fresh ideas and ensure the provision of essential services that uphold Singapore’s cleanliness and environmental sustainability. The collective effort of all stakeholders remains key to upholding high standards of public cleanliness and safeguarding the environment for tomorrow.

————————-

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 11) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Ikast-Brande Municipality in Denmark, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 450 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 210 000 poultry eggs from Denmark last year.

     “The CFS has contacted the Danish authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department will return in April for its fourth edition.

Under the theme “Beyond Fantasy”, the festival will explore what happens when ideas collide, inviting audiences to experience how creators across generations – through boundless imagination – reshape the distinctive character of Hong Kong’s pop culture and turn the impossible into the possible.

It will present about 20 programmes and over 120 events, including stage performances, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, library programmes and outreach activities.

Concert “Dreamscape” will be the opening programme, co-curated by Chu Wan-pin, winner of the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Score and an erhu virtuoso, and local musician Vicky Fung. The programme blends soundtracks, pop music, street dance and art technology into a musical feast.

Other programmes include the mega outdoor music carnival “ImagineLand”; outdoor installation “Pop Unboxed”; film screening “Fantasies in Reality: A Cinematic Journey” and “Restored Treasures – ‘The Kid’”.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The fourth edition of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival (PCF), presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will return in April following its resounding success in previous years. Under the theme “Beyond Fantasy”, the PCF will explore what happens when ideas collide, inviting audiences to experience how creators across generations – through boundless imagination – reshape the distinctive character of Hong Kong’s pop culture and turn the impossible into the possible.

     The PCF will present approximately 20 programmes and over 120 events, including stage performances, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, library programmes and outreach activities. Some of the programmes are as follows:————————————————–
     Co-curated by Chu Wan-pin, winner of the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Score and an erhu virtuoso, and local musician Vicky Fung, this programme blends soundtracks, pop music, street dance and art technology into a musical feast in three chapters. It will feature newly arranged scores from classic Hong Kong films. Guest performers across the two nights include Phil Lam and Winka Chan@COLLAR (April 17), and Tang Siu-hau and Jeremy Lee@MIRROR (April 18). Together with an ensemble and choir members, they will perform pop songs from different eras, joined by young street dancers and emerging musicians in a burst of collaborative creativity to open the PCF.———————————————————————————————-
     The PCF’s flagship programme “ImagineLand”, the outdoor music carnival returning by popular demand, will be held on April 25 and 26 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza and the Salisbury Garden Central Lawn, offering free admission to members of the public and visitors. Daytime highlights include the “Go Beyond Concert”, the “Pop Unboxed” outdoor installation, and the “Funarts Corner”. In the evening, the “Movie Under the Stars” will be presented.—————–
 “Fantasies in Reality: A Cinematic Journey”——————
     Two pre-festival programmes will be held, namely “18dART – Community Arts Scheme in Kwai Tsing ‘Shape of Harmony – Kwai Tsing 3.0’ Acappella Music Project Finale Concert” presented by local a cappella group Boonfaysau; and “2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras Concert I – Strings ‘Fairy Tales'”.——————-
     In response to the PCF’s theme “Beyond Fantasy”, public libraries will present a series of activities from April to June, including book recommendations themed around fairy tales, science fiction and mystery; a meet-the-author session; a themed talk series titled “Monthly Literary Talk: ‘The Past and Future of Science Fiction Literature: Mythical Creatures, Animals, Machines, and Artificial Intelligence'”; as well as workshops and storytelling theatre.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Hong Kong Customs conducted enforcement actions yesterday and today (March 10 and 11) to combat the online sale of copyright-infringing teaching materials for primary and secondary schools. During the operations, two women were arrested, and a mobile phone and a tablet suspected to be involved in the case were seized.
 
     Customs earlier received complaints from members of the public and a copyright owner alleging that suspected infringing teaching materials for primary and secondary schools were being offered for sale on an online platform. After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers found that a seller had solicited business via the online platform. Upon receiving an order, the seller requested buyers to transfer money to a designated electronic payment account. Subsequently, electronic files containing the suspected copyright-infringing supplementary exercises were sent to buyers via instant-messaging applications.

     With the assistance of the copyright owner, Customs officers took enforcement action yesterday and raided a residential unit in Ho Man Tin. A 29-year-old woman suspected to be involved in the case was arrested. A mobile phone and a tablet believed to be connected to the case were seized. Following a subsequent investigation, Customs officers today further arrested a 54-year-old woman suspected to be involved in the case. Both women were released on bail pending further investigation.
 
     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs appeals to the public to respect intellectual property rights and not to sell infringing articles.

     Under the Copyright Ordinance, without the licence of the copyright owner, any person who sells or possesses for sale any infringing goods commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a term of imprisonment for four years and a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy.

     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).