Staff writer, with CNA
DIPLOMACY
Sunak, Yoon ink accord
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the UK, underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in the Downing Street Accord signed on Wednesday. The UK and South Korea reiterated their commitment to “openness and transparency in the Indo-Pacific” and “emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged.” “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element in the security and prosperity of the international community,” the document said. The two countries “strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo” in the East and South China Seas, calling on the protection of freedom of navigation and overflight, it said, adding that the two leaders vowed to deepen cooperation on security issues in pursuit of regional and global stability.
DIPLOMACY
New state offices open
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official in charge of US affairs on Wednesday hailed the opening of four new representative offices in Taiwan by US states this year, saying it illustrates how the two countries are “ideal and reliable” partners. Speaking at an annual appreciation reception held by the American State Offices Association (ASOA) in Taipei, Wang Liang-yu (王良玉), head of the North American Affairs Department, said the offices opened by Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia represented the “breadth and depth” of the partnerships between Taiwan and US states. In addition, six US governors led trade missions in Taiwan and signed a wide range of agreements this year, she added. Meanwhile, Emily Scott, director of the Agricultural Trade Office under the American Institute in Taiwan, said there are now 17 ASOA members in Taiwan. When she first arrived there were only eight members, Scott said, adding that she was happy to have witnessed the growth firsthand. She also noted that Taiwan is a close US trade partner and the sixth-largest market for US agricultural products. The other US state offices and ASOA members are Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wyoming, while Guam also has an office in Taiwan.
SOCIETY
Unclaimed lottery tickets
Eight NT$10 million (US$317,007) and five NT$2 million winning receipts from the July-August invoice lottery remain unclaimed, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The eight-digit serial number that won the NT$10 million special prize in the lottery was 21981893, it said. Some of the unclaimed prize-winning NT$10 million receipts include a NT$26 receipt issued by a 7-Eleven in Hsinchu’s East District (東區), a NT$55 receipt issued by a drinks shop in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯) and a NT$60 purchase at a PX Mart in Changhua County’s Fenyuan Township (芬園). Meanwhile, five of the 16 NT$2 million grand prizes for receipts with the serial number 39597522 were also unclaimed, the ministry said. Unclaimed winning receipts include a NT$33 purchase issued by Apple’s App Store, a NT$85 receipt issued by MOS Burger in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), a NT$242 receipt issued by a 7-Eleven in Taoyuan’s Taoyuan District (桃園), a NT$1,573 receipt issued by a steakhouse in Taichung’s Nantun District (南屯) and a NT$190 receipt for a top-up at a FamilyMart in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港). Those with the receipts can claim their winnings until Jan. 5.
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