Search
A delegation of French senators will visit Taiwan in early October, even though the announcement of such a trip drew the ire of Beijing earlier this year, the online French media outlet La Lettre A reported Monday.
https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202109200016
【外交部吳部長接受法國解放報視訊專訪】
外交部吳部長接受法國「解放報」視訊專訪，其中 #香港 議題是訪談的重點。
吳部長表示，香港的例子讓世界各國明白：
#一國兩制實為一國一制
吳部長說，中國去年不顧香港人民聲音強行通過「港版國安法」，嚴重壓縮香港言論自由、新聞自由以及司法獨立，之後並多次恣意逮捕民主派人士及新聞從業人員，近日更大舉逮捕「香港蘋果日報」從業人員並凍結其資產，導致該報被迫停刊。
在目睹香港的情況後，台灣人民將更加堅定捍衛自身的民主自由體制，#我們會為守護台灣的民主自由而奮戰到底。
在這次訪談，吳部長也提到了中國軍機多次侵擾我國ADIZ，以及以混和戰手段對台攻擊；面對中國的威脅，台灣除了強化自我防衛能力外，也受到相同理念國家的支持，台灣已盡最大努力維持台海現狀及區域的和平穩定，也期盼對岸承擔起應有的責任。
MOFA Minister Joseph Wu participated in an interview recently with Arnaud Vaulerin from #France’s Libération in which he expounded on advances in Taiwan-US relations, the threat China poses to the cross-Strait status quo and the situation in #HongKong.
Minister Wu mentioned the frequent incursions into #Taiwan's ADIZ by Chinese fighters over recent years, with 2,900 instances in 2020 alone. He also spoke to the threat of disinformation campaigns, facilitated through internet content farms, spreading false information online, as evidenced by studies like the University of Gothenburg’s V-Dem project, which pointed to Taiwan as a hotspot for disinformation attacks.
On the heels of recent trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) talks with the US, he also touched on the recent wave of support for Taiwan from #LikeMinded countries and organizations, like the QUAD, the US, Japan, South Korea, the EU and the G7, underlining Taiwan’s commitment to maintaining the status quo in cross-Strait relations, to ensure the continued peace and prosperity of the #IndoPacific region.
Minister Wu also pointed to Hong Kong as a warning to other countries as to China’s inability to keep its promises and expressed his dismay at the suppression of the press there, which was made clear with the arrest of Apple Daily staff and executives and the financial pressure forcing the media outlet to close its doors.
Hong Kong police told CNN they arrested a 57-year-old man Sunday night at the airport following the "arrest operations on June 17 and 23" but would not identify him.
According to media reports, Fung Wai-kong was arrested at the airport as he tried to leave the city -- the latest journalist at the now-shuttered Apple Daily to be arrested under the National Security Law.
Separately on Sunday, the Hong Kong pro-democracy media outlet Stand News announced measures in response to Apple Daily’s closure including the removal of online op-eds and commentaries.
The latest from Hong Kong (on this Black Rain Monday)...
The M.E. Series (The Millennial Experience). Created all on Mobile with #iPhone12ProMax
Weekend. Raining. Work had been hectic. Needed to take some time off to recharge. Covid. WFH. Blurred lines between work and personal time. No time to shut off from work completely. Found myself working from screens to screen. Laptop to phone. Even leisure is watching videos online.
In need of time for a digital detox.
Found a bookstore that was opened in Feb this year, in the heart of Orchard Road, Wheelock Place. Where the Borders flagship used to be. If you know what I’m talking about, you’re from my time. I recall the times when I was still in secondary school, hanging at Borders with my friends who love reading, and I will be there checking out the CDs.
Heard that it has a 2 storey space with a cafe and gallery as well. Heard that the ones in China open 24hours, although it’s not happening in SG yet
——
Zall Bookstore, an outlet with more than 30,000 books mostly in Chinese, also has a cafe and art gallery
——
“Ms Laura Yan Ge, 24, who is general manager of the Singapore store, said at a media preview on Friday that while the company did not anticipate the coronavirus outbreak erupting amid its expansion, it believes bookstores are especially vital during a pandemic.
‘Because of Covid-19, there is a lot of distance between people nowadays," she said in Mandarin. "We believe books will help to close this gap. They provide food for thought and people can use them to widen their worlds.’”
—
As a creator myself, I need to constantly find inspiration.
While I can readily find all sorts of information online, sometimes I found my mind being constantly overloaded instead. We read. Socialise. We basically live most parts of our lives in the virtual world, and now we have lesser and lesser reasons to get out there anymore.
So, why a new book store? When was the last time you visited a book store?
Being here made me realised that it’s not about the books. It’s about the space. It’s about the experience. It’s about being here and being present. And what happens when you unplug from the internet and be present in the moment? You’ll get involuntarily intrigued by the surroundings, the people, the architecture, the noise, the beauty of it all. You’ll find headspace. You’ll find your inspiration. You’ll even find a new you.
When was the last time you stepped outside, set aside time just for yourself, and experience life beyond the screen?
