Taiwan's efforts to attract tourists are expected to help the nation achieve the goal of 11 million visitors this year, Minister without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) said Friday.

Following a presentation on Taiwan’s participation in the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Premier Lai Ching-te on Thursday said that APEC is an important platform for promoting economic cooperation between Taiwan and other nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu arrived in the Marshall Islands Nov. 19 for a three-day visit marking two decades of official ties between Taiwan and the Pacific island nation.

Bilateral agreements on police cooperation and a strategic partnership framework were concluded by Taiwan and the Marshall Islands Nov. 20 in the Pacific island nation’s capital of Majuro, underscoring the allies’ commitment to building a safer world and promoting prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

The staunch support of diplomatic allies, like-minded countries and foreign media outlets for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in Interpol is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nov. 16.

President Tsai Ing-wen inaugurated the National Communications and Cyber Security Center Nov. 15 in Taipei City, describing the facility as a milestone in government efforts to safeguard the country’s information infrastructure.

Parliamentary diplomacy plays a key role in advancing Taiwan’s foreign policy and strengthening relations with like-minded countries, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu Nov. 14.

President of the Legislative Yuan Su Jia-chyuan delivered a speech on parliamentary diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on November 14, discussing new concepts on promoting such diplomacy and leveraging national strengths to share Taiwan’s experience with other countries. Using concrete examples, he provided insight into flexible and pragmatic ways of conducting parliamentary diplomacy.

Following the completion of a two-week mutual evaluation by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) in Taiwan, the mutual evaluation committee on Friday announced its preliminary results. While the report has yet to be finalized, the committee said this morning that Taiwan had made clear progress over the last two years, thanks to high-level government support and the cooperation of the public and private sectors.

Premier Lai Ching-te on Thursday said that the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exhibition said that the event puts an international spotlight on Taiwan and is an excellent chance for the city of Taichung to connect with the world. He encouraged the public to take advantage of the opportunity to share in the spectacle while the expo continues.