Taichung mayor meets Manchester mayor during US tripStaff writer, with CNATaichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) arrived in Boston yesterday and began her US trip by visiting Taichung’s sister city Manchester, New Hampshire, where she met with Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais. The two mayors met to discuss housing, homelessness and crime prevention, the Taichung City Government said in a statement. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, front center, stands with local politicians in Manchester, New Hampshire, yesterday on the first day of her 11-day US visit. Photo courtesy of the Taichung City GovernmentManchester and Taichung are both rapidly developing cities facing similar challenges, Lu said. Lu invited Ruais to visit Taichung to further strengthen bilateral ties and promote additional exchanges.

US$14 billion arms deal could be signed next month: reportStaff writer, with ReutersA major US arms package for Taiwan that includes advanced interceptor missiles is ready for US President Donald Trump’s approval and could be signed after his trip to China this month, sources briefed on the discussions said, according to an exclusive report by Reuters published today. The arms deal, valued at about US$14 billion, would be the largest ever for the nation as it faces rising military pressure from China, the report said. Nonetheless, Trump’s arms sales approvals to the nation in his second term have already surpassed the amount approved by his predecessor Joe Biden over four years. “Arms sales are working their way through the process; there is no change to our policy with respect to Taiwan,” the official said. The ministry said in January that an arms deal with the US covering four items was in the offing, but it could not give details before they were provided to the US Congress.

Pollster Michael You approved as CEC chairmanBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan today held a roll-call vote on nominees for the Central Election Commission (CEC), approving Michael You (游盈隆) as chairman. You is currently chairman of the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation and was approved by a unanimous vote. Also approved as commissioners were China University of Science and Technology vice president Lee Li-chung (李禮仲), Fooyin University professor Su Jia-hong (蘇嘉宏) and Soochow University professor Su Tzu-chiao (蘇子喬). Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation chairman Michael You speaks in an undated photograph. The CEC currently has four commissioners, one short of the regulatory minimum required for the commission to convene meetings and pass resolutions.

Legislature approves Cabinet to sign US weapons agreementsBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan today approved a motion authorizing the Executive Yuan to sign letters of acceptance (LOA) for four US arms procurement projects before they expire, as a months-long debate continues in the legislature over the special defense budget. The motion would allow the government to sign the LOAs before the legislature completes its review of the defense budget, to ensure Taiwan does not lose its place in the production and delivery line. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) had urged legislators to authorize the government to first sign the expiring LOAs. The proposal reached a caucus consensus and was sent directly to the second reading and referred for cross-party negotiations with the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. The Cabinet must immediately submit a full report to the Legislative Yuan upon signing the agreements, detailing the weapons delivery schedule, the motion says.

Stuart Fairchild reveals Amis heritage after WBC successBy Chiu I-chin and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild, whose powerhouse performance at this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) helped propel the national team to key victories, has revealed that he has indigenous roots. Designated hitter Stuart Fairchild, left, hits a grand slam home run during Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic game against the Czech Republic at the Tokyo Dome earlier this month. Fairchild said the overwhelming support from Taiwanese crowds — characterized by choreographed chants and rhythmic drumming — offered a sense of belonging he had not anticipated. Beyond his professional commitments, Fairchild said he is already planning a return trip to Taiwan during the off-season for a homecoming journey. The visit would allow him to explore his grandmother’s ancestral lands and better understand his Amis heritage, he said.

Temperatures to hit 10°C tonight: CWAStaff writer, with CNAAn ongoing continental cold air mass is expected to plunge temperatures tonight and into tomorrow morning as low as 10°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The CWA issued a “yellow” cold surge advisory for 14 administrative areas, including parts of Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, meaning low-lying areas could see temperatures dip below 10°C. Temperatures plunged well below 10°C early today as the cold air mass hit. The lowest temperatures recorded in low-lying areas were 7.1°C in Yunlin County’s Gukeng Township (古坑) and 7.4°C in Hualien County’s Xiulin Township (秀林), CWA data showed. The ongoing cold air mass is expected to continue into early tomorrow morning, with temperatures likely to hover around 10°C in some low-lying areas, Wu said.

Taiwan letterpress book wins German design awardStaff writer, with CNAAn illustrated book on Taiwan’s letterpress printing culture has received an “honorary appreciation” award in an annual German international book design competition, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation (TBFF) said today. Kao Peng-hsiang (高鵬翔), who designed and authored Visual Guide to Taiwan Letterpress Printing, received the honor yesterday in this year’s Best Book Design from All Over the World competition, the foundation said in a news release. Kao Peng-hsiang's "Visual Guide to Taiwan Letterpress Printing" is shown in this undated photograph. Visual Guide to Taiwan Letterpress Printing uses an open-spine design, with a cover that unfolds into a full image showing type casting, sorting, typesetting and printing. The book recreates Taiwan’s letterpress printing tradition and preserves a disappearing industry, it said.

NT$440m kindergarten subsidies improve facilitiesBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Education today unveiled the results of a NT$440 million (US$13.77 million) subsidy program launched last year for local governments to improve teaching environments and facilities in public kindergartens. The ministry’s K-12 Education Administration cited the public kindergarten attached to Yongzhen Elementary School (永貞國小) in Miaoli County as an example in a news release today. The kindergarten attached to Dashe Elementary School is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the K-12 Education AdministrationAt the kindergarten attached to Dashe Elementary School (大社國小) in Tainan, the subsidy helped to renovate outdated facilities and repair the indoor activity space, it said. A further government plan to promote reading in kindergartens between last year and next year allocated an additional NT$170 million (US$5.32 million) for municipal and county governments.

‘Regrettable’ that Li Chen-hsiu keeps seat: MACStaff writer, with CNAThe legislature’s decision not to unseat China-born Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Li Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) was “regrettable,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, citing issues surrounding her eligibility. Liang said that under Article 20 of the Nationality Act (國籍法), the power to revoke a lawmaker’s status rests with the Legislative Yuan. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) reaffirmed the decision after interparty negotiations on Wednesday. Taiwan People's Party legislator Li Chen-hsiu, left, speaks to reporters in this undated photograph. Liang said Li faces two problems, the first being whether she held dual household registration in China and Taiwan when she registered as a candidate.

Taiwan fans roar for their team at WBCLOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with

First train to Pyongyang in six years leaves ChinaReuters, BEIJINGThe first passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang was to resume yesterday, ending a six-year gap, as China moves to shore up cross-border infrastructure and rebuild ties with its neighbor. China and North Korea are “friendly neighbors” and a cross-border passenger train service facilitates people-to-people exchanges, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told reporters. A man holds a banner reading “Beijing-Pyongyang” in front of the K27 train bound for Pyongyang at Beijing Railway Station yesterday. A person takes pictures of a board with a sign for the K27 train bound for Pyongyang as passengers wait at the Beijing Railway Station yesterday. It signaled greater access to “the largest trading nation on Earth” for North Korea, while it was also important for China’s “periphery diplomacy,” Lim said.

EDITORIAL: Baseball diplomacy sets precedentWhile tens of thousands of baseball fans watched Taiwan defeat the Czech Republic 14-0 to secure their first victory at the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) was also at the game, marking the first visit to Japan by a sitting Taiwanese premier since the two sides severed diplomatic ties in 1972. The last incumbent premier to set foot on Japanese territory was Yen Chia-kan (嚴家淦) in 1970, who visited Japan to attend the Japan World Exposition in Osaka. Although Cho took only a one-day trip to Japan, the Tokyo government’s tacit approval of the visit is tantamount to redefining diplomatic boundaries with Taiwan. Statistics from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association showed that mutual visits between the two countries reached a record-high 8.2 million visits last year. By using a global-focused sports event to make an appearance at the Tokyo Dome, Cho’s trip to some degree has made a successful operation out of soft diplomacy.

China is rebuilding its grip on North Korea — is Kim Jong-un ready to oblige? China’s exports to North Korea reached a six-year high of US$2.3 billion last year, a 25 percent annual increase. After a 15-year delay, North Korea spent most of last year working on the project before construction stalled in November. One said she was among a group of more than 10 workers who arrived from North Korea in December last year. “Before the pandemic, our trucks could freely enter North Korea’s interior to deliver or pick up goods,” said an owner of an eyelash manufacturer with a factory in North Korea.

Fear of defections may have stopped flightsBy Fang Wei-li and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could have held off flying military aircraft close to Taiwan over the past two weeks over fear of defections by pilots, Taiwanese researchers said yesterday. Photo: Xinhua via APDespite a near total absence of Chinese military aircraft in the areas surrounding Taiwan proper, the PLA deployed at least six ships every day, the experts said. The PLA stopped sending aircraft to the vicinity of Taiwan proper on Feb. 28, which continued for more than 10 consecutive days, they said. Compared with a ship’s commanding officers and sailors, fighter jet pilots could unilaterally decide to go rogue, they said. The safest way for the PLA to weather the annual plenary sessions without incident is to halt all activities that might allow defections to occur, they added.

Taiwan improves on passport rankingsBy Roger Lo 羅傑The latest global passport ranking showed Taiwan’s passport has made modest progress with regard to travel convenience. Singapore continued to rank first in the world, with citizens enjoying visa-free access to 192 nations, the latest statistics from the Henley Passport Index show. Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates tied for second place, each with visa-free access to 187 destinations. In the latest rankings released on Tuesday, Taiwan’s passport ranked 31st globally, allowing visa-free access to 134 nations. Passport rankings are often regarded as an important indicator of a nation’s level of international trust.