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CNN —Taiwan will never back down in the face of growing threats from China, the island’s vice president and presidential hopeful said Sunday during a transit through the United States, defying Beijing’s condemnation of his trip. William Lai, a front-runner in Taiwan’s presidential race in January, made a stop in New York en route to Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of its new president Tuesday. “When Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, and when there is peace on the Taiwan Strait, there will be world peace,” Lai said, according to Taiwan’s presidential office. In March, Taiwan’s President Tsai transited in California and met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, despite warnings and threats from Beijing. Following Tsai’s trip, China launched three days of live-fire military drills around Taiwan.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Taiwan’s, ” Lai, ”, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Xi, “, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, US, Democratic Progressive Party, Harvard, Kuomintang, China’s Communist Party, Taiwan’s Locations: Taiwan, China, United States, New York, Paraguay, “, Taiwan Strait, ”, San Francisco, Beijing, California

☆ Taiwan will not back down to threats, Taiwan VP says on US trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Taiwan's Vice President William Lai speaks during a luncheon in New York City, New York, U.S., in this handout picture released on August 14, 2023. Lai told a supporters lunch in New York on Sunday that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful", according to Taiwan's presidential office. China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, which is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier. Lai's speech was attended by Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. China carried out war games around Taiwan in April after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from California where she met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while also on a transit on her way back from Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Ingrid Larson, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ben Blanchard, Lincoln Organizations: Taiwan Presidential, REUTERS, American Institute, U.S, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Taiwan, Central America, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Taiwan, REUTERS TAIPEI, Beijing, China, United States, Paraguay, San Francisco, New York, Washington, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, Taipei, California, Central

☆ Taiwan will not back down to threats, its vice president says on U.S. trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan will not be afraid nor back down in the face of authoritarian threats, the island's vice president told supporters on a U.S. visit that Beijing has condemned, while reiterating a willingness to talk to China. William Lai, also frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president at January elections, is in the United States on what is officially a transit stop on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president. Taiwan and the United States both say the stopovers, including one in San Francisco on the way back, are routine, but China has denounced them and called Lai a separatist "troublemaker." Lai told a supporters lunch in New York on Sunday that "if Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, if the Taiwan Strait is peaceful, then the world is peaceful," according to Taiwan's presidential office. "No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom," he said.

Persons: William Lai, Lai Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, United States, Paraguay, San Francisco, New York

☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

CNN —China’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the transit of Taiwan’s vice president and presidential candidate William Lai through the United States, calling him a “troublemaker through and through.”Lai arrived in New York on Saturday en route to Paraguay where he will attend the inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena on August 15. Paraguay is Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America. Shortly after Lai’s arrival, China’s foreign ministry said it “firmly opposes” any official interaction between the US and Taiwan and any “‘Taiwan independence’ separatists to the US.”“China deplores and strongly condemns the US decision to arrange the so-called ‘stopover,’” it said in a statement. “Lai clings stubbornly to the separatist position for ‘Taiwan independence’. Lai is due to transit through San Francisco on August 16 on his return to Taipei, Taiwan’s vice foreign minister Alexander Yui said during a media briefing earlier this month.

Persons: CNN —, William Lai, ” Lai, Santiago Pena, Lai, ”, ‘, China’s, “, “ Lai, China ”, Alexander Yui Organizations: CNN, Paraguayan, US, Communist Party, Taiwan, ’ Locations: United States, New York, Paraguay, South America, China, Taiwan, ”, Lai, San Francisco, Taipei

☆ Taiwan vice president to leave for sensitive trip to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan's William Lai speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Taipei on September 5, 2017. Taiwan Vice President William Lai leaves on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the democratically governed island. Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing in of its president. Neither Taiwan nor the United States have given exact details about his U.S. schedule. Lai went to Honduras last year for the inauguration of its president and had a brief though symbolic chat while there with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Laura Rosenberger, Kamala Harris Organizations: Taiwan, American Institute, AIT, U.S Locations: Taipei, United States, China, Lai, Paraguay, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, New York, Virginia, U.S, San Francisco, Honduras

☆ Taiwan vice president to leave for sensitive trip to United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan Vice President William Lai leaves on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the democratically governed island. Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing in of its president. Beijing particularly dislikes Lai, who has in the past described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". Neither Taiwan nor the United States have given exact details about his U.S. schedule. Lai went to Honduras last year for the inauguration of its president and had a brief though symbolic chat while there with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Persons: William Lai, Lai, Laura Rosenberger, Kamala Harris, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, William Mallard Organizations: Taiwan, American Institute, AIT, U.S, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, United States, China, Lai, Paraguay, Taipei, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, New York, Virginia, U.S, San Francisco, Honduras

☆ Taiwan vice president leaves on sensitive trip to United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Fabian Hamacher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Taiwan's Vice President William Lai arrives at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure to the United States for a stopover in New York on his way to Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsTAOYUAN, Taiwan, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan Vice President William Lai left on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the democratically governed island. Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing in of its president. The United States has not announced who may be going to Paraguay next week. Neither Taiwan nor the United States has given exact details about his U.S. schedule, and both are aiming to keep that part low key, according to officials briefed on the trip.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Kamala Harris, Laura Rosenberger, Fabian Hamcher, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Taiwan, U.S, United, American Institute, AIT, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, Carlos Garcia Rawlins TAOYUAN, China, Lai, Taipei, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Honduras, Virginia, San Francisco

☆ Taiwan steeling itself for Chinese drills over VP's US visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United States has described the stopovers as routine and no reason for China to take "provocative" action. Neither Taiwan nor the United States have given details of Lai's schedule on his stopovers. That includes the prospect of a visit to the United States by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taiwan believes the scale of the exercises could be smaller than those in April, the Taiwanese official said. Chinese state television this month ran an eight-part series on the People's Liberation Army, some of which focused on Taiwan.

Persons: William Lai's stopovers, Lai, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, China, Jeff Liu, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Liz Lee, Michael Martina, Robert Birsel Organizations: United, House, Taiwan Affairs Office, People's Liberation Army, China's Eastern Theatre Command, Reuters, Chinese Foreign, American Institute, The U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, China, Taiwan, United States, U.S, Beijing, Los Angeles, Taiwan Strait, New York, Paraguay, San Francisco, stoke, Virginia, The, Taipei, Washington

☆ The prime minister of New Zealand flies in a 30-year-old plane and prepared a spare plane for his trip to China in case the old one breaks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has readied a spare aircraft for an official visit to China — just in case the 30-year-old plane he's traveling in breaks down. Hipkins traveled to Beijing on Sunday in a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 with a business and trade delegation, as well as media. A New Zealand Air Force plane sits on the tarmac at Auckland Airport on May 21, 2023, preparing to take New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to Papua New Guinea. The prime minister's spokesperson said using the air force plane is "far cheaper" than a commercial charter. In August, Defense Minister Peeni Henare and a 30-person delegation got stuck in the Solomon Islands after their plane broke down.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Hipkins, China —, Nick Perry, David Seymour, Jacinda Ardern, Peeni Henare, John Key Organizations: Morning, Zealand's, Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing, Air Force, New Zealand Air Force, Auckland Airport, New Zealand, Associated, ACT, Boeing Locations: China, Beijing, Royal, Manila, Philippines, Darwin, Australia, Shanghai, Papua New Guinea, Zealand, Antarctica, Solomon Islands, India

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☆ Why I signed up to live on a cruise ship for three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When Sharon Lane heard about a cruise company offering a three-year-long voyage around the world, she immediately started fantasizing about life on board. While it’s long been Lane’s dream to live on a cruise ship full time, the steep cost has always been a barrier. I don’t know, the sky’s the limit.”Preparing for a new lifeSharon Lane will spend three years living on the MV Gemini cruise ship, pictured here. The 130-square-feet cabin has no window, but guests have been promised a screen that will broadcast live footage from outside the ship. Lane won’t disembark the ship in certain destinations, like Antarctica, where the cold air might aggravate her lungs.

☆ Airline passengers were denied compensation for 2 Aperol Spritz cocktails after a court ruled that alcohol isn't a 'refreshment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A couple was denied compensation for two Aperol Spritz drinks they bought during a flight delay. A German court ruled that as the drinks were alcoholic, they didn't count as refreshments. A couple who tried to get compensation for two Aperol Spritz cocktails during a flight delay had their claim denied after a German court ruled alcohol didn't count as a refreshment. Part of this bill included two Aperol Spritz drinks that cost a total of £15 ($18.60). There were also two Camden Hells beers on the couple's receipt, which the court didn't have to scrutinize as they had not claimed compensation for them.

LOS ANGELES, April 5 (Reuters) - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is set to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in the first such meeting on U.S. soil, a plan that has drawn threats of retaliation from China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own. It will be the highest-level meeting with a Taiwanese president on U.S. soil since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. A meeting in California is seen as a potentially less provocative alternative to McCarthy visiting Taiwan, something he has said he hopes to do. Washington called on China not to overreact, portraying Tsai's stopovers as routine and a normal part of its unofficial relationship with Taiwan. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a regular news briefing on Tuesday Tsai's transit was "private" and "unofficial."

The Chinese Embassy in Washington called self-ruled Taiwan "an inalienable part of China" and said the one-China principle was an "overwhelming trend" internationally. When Taiwan temporarily averted a split with Honduras after President Xiomara Castro took office in January 2022, U.S. State Department officials remained wary. The Biden administration is also keeping a close eye on tiny Belize for any cracks in its Taiwan relationship. Two U.S. officials said Washington was putting less stock in Taiwan maintaining its diplomatic allies in favor of efforts to increase its participation in international organizations. While denied a seat in the United Nations, Taiwan is a member of the WTO and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

☆ Kevin McCarthy Prepares to Meet Taiwan’s President as Tensions With China Swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is set to land in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening ahead of a meeting with the U.S. House speaker. TAIPEI—Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the Biden administration are heading into the most pivotal event in her closely watched travels through the U.S.—a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that will test Beijing’s and Washington’s ability to manage tensions. Ms. Tsai is set to land in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening for the second of two multiday stopovers in the U.S. on her way to and from visiting Taiwan’s diplomatic partners in Central America. At the top of her agenda in California is a long-anticipated meeting with Mr. McCarthy in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday that Beijing has warned would lead to unspecified retaliation.

☆ China warns US House Speaker not to meet Taiwan president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoBEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - China warned U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday not to "repeat disastrous past mistakes" and meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, saying it would not help regional peace and stability, but only unite the Chinese people behind a common enemy. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island last August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, visited the capital, Taipei. The U.S. says such stopovers are common practice and there is no need for China to overreact. In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said China had no right to complain, as the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island. "Even if the authoritarian government continues with its expansion and intensifies coercion, Taiwan will not back down."

LOS ANGELES, April 4 (Reuters) - China, Taiwan, and the United States all share a common interest in ensuring this week's California stopover by Taiwan's president gets the focus each thinks it deserves, but without setting off a new crisis. It is sure to elicit a forceful reaction from Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory. McCarthy, as House speaker, is third in line to the U.S. leadership and he has said publicly that he does not rule out a future visit to Taiwan. Xu Xueyuan, charge d'affaires at China's Washington embassy, said last week that McCarthy meeting Tsai "could lead to another serious confrontation in the China-U.S. With an eye the Taiwan election, China invited former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT party for a visit coinciding with Tsai's U.S. stopovers.

BOAO, China, March 30 (Reuters) - China is committed to opening up the world's second-largest economy and delivering reforms that can help stimulate growth, Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday, adding that geopolitical tension would only hold back development worldwide. China has set itself a modest target for gross domestic product growth of about 5% this year, after significantly missing its target for 2022. In particular, major economic indicators such as consumption and investment continue to improve, while employment and prices are generally stable," Li said. Another flashpoint in U.S.-China rivalry has been Taiwan, the democratically ruled island that China claims as its territory. In his speech, Li said "chaos and conflicts" must not happen in Asia and that China would act as an "anchor" for global peace.

☆ No reason for China to overreact to transit by Taiwan's president, senior US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The United States sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the United States this week and next month by Taiwan's president, senior U.S. officials said, calling them consistent with long-standing practice and the U.S. one-China policy that recognizes Beijing diplomatically, not Taipei. However, the United States government is required by U.S. law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The U.S. official said Washington continued to exchange views with China on a broad range of issues through multiple diplomatic channels. "We urge the PRC (People's Republic of China) to keep open channels of communication," a second senior official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Edited by Michael Martina, Don Durfee and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"This is not a good moment for American diplomacy," said William Kirby, a professor of Chinese studies at Harvard University. A source familiar with that conversation called it the most antagonistic U.S.-China engagement since contentious talks in Alaska early in the Biden administration. Name me one," Biden said in his speech, evidently referring to a host of domestic and foreign policy challenges facing China. However, Biden is likely to find Xi emboldened in any call after a Chinese-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and his meetings with Putin. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina Editing by Don Durfee and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan president to visit US, Speaker meet unconfirmed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsTaiwan president to visit US, Speaker meet unconfirmedPostedTaiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will make sensitive stopovers in the United States on her way to and from Central America that China's foreign ministry condemned on Tuesday, but Taipei would not confirm a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Lauren Anthony reports.

☆ France extends mandatory COVID tests for Chinese travellers until Feb 15
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - France has extended mandatory COVID tests for travellers from China until Feb. 15, a government decree published on Saturday showed. While Chinese officials have said infections have peaked, some global experts have warned about the possibility of a rise in cases in rural areas less equipped to deal with them as millions of Chinese travel for family reunions during the Lunar New Year holiday. On Dec. 30, France announced it would require travellers from China to provide a negative COVID-19 test result less than 48 hours before departure as China eased lockdown rules. The measure, which had been set to last until Jan. 31, imposed tests on all flights from China - including flights with stopovers - and required travellers on airplanes arriving from China to wear masks. China abandoned its strict "zero COVID" policy in early December after protests against the restrictions, allowing people to travel and the virus to spread rapidly throughout the country.

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☆ An ultra-luxury Orient Express superyacht featuring a 15,000-square-foot presidential suite will set sail in 2026. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Orient Express brand is taking to the high seas with a 720-foot superyacht. The Orient Express Silenseas will have 54 suites as well as a huge presidential suite. The Accor Group, the hotel giant that also owns Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel, said the Orient Express Silenseas will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. A rendering of the Orient Express Silenseas. Martin DarzacqThe superyacht, set to sail in 2026, is a partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a French shipbuilder.

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