Taiwan’s nongovernmental organizations raise the country’s global profile in areas spanning culture, environmental protection, human rights, medical care, sports and women’s empowerment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said April 27.

On April 11, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened the US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A.

China conducted so-called combat readiness patrol and military exercises in areas around Taiwan from April 8 to 10 on the pretext of President Tsai Ing-wen’s successful diplomatic visit themed “Meeting Democratic Partners, Fostering Shared Prosperity.” China’s behavior posed a serious threat to Taiwan’s security, escalated regional tensions, and undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.

President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) made a diplomatic visit themed “Meeting Democratic Partners, Fostering Shared Prosperity” from March 29 to April 7, which included visits to two diplomatic allies, Guatemala and Belize. On both the outbound and return journey, she made transit stops in the United States. The visit was a success celebrated by the Taiwanese people.

The first meeting of the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Taiwan took place in a conference room of the parliamentary building on the evening of March 29. Twenty-two parliamentarians from various parties joined the newly formed APPG, including the four major ones—Labour, National, Green, and ACT.

Control Yuan President Chen Chu, Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States head Hsiao Bi-khim highlighted Taiwan’s commitment to deepening global democratic resilience during the Summit for Democracy 2023.

The Cabinet on Thursday approved draft amendments to the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, which will enhance law enforcement’s ability to disrupt criminal organizations engaged in exploitation, modern slavery, victim-based crime and other new forms of human trafficking, and strengthen victims’ rights protections. The proposed amendments will now be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.

The Executive Yuan’s Department of Gender Equality is delighted to report that Taiwan has ranked second in its first ever inclusion in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), placing behind only Belgium in the 2023 edition of the index, which surveyed 179 countries and territories.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has taken note that in San Diego, USA, on March 13, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States jointly announced plans to advance AUKUS—the security partnership linking the three countries—as well as a concrete pathway for AUKUS to provide step-by-step support for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. MOFA welcomes the steady advancement of AUKUS.

Taiwan Gender Equality Week wrapped up March 9 in New York City with a seminar titled “Promoting Gender Equality in the Digital Age,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.