Filmmakers from around the world were recognized at the Oct. 31 award ceremony in Taipei City for the Trending Taiwan Short Film Competition, an annual event organized by the Department of International Information Services under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu participated in an academic webinar Oct. 30 from Taipei City in which he warned of the impact of instability in the Taiwan Strait and called for democracies to deter authoritarian expansion.

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Taiwan is committed to safeguarding its democratic way of life and working with like-minded partners to deter China’s authoritarian expansion, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oct. 27.

The Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan kicked off Oct. 23 in Taipei City, underscoring government commitment to expanding ties with partner countries in the region, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a joint statement on October 25 in Washington, DC, reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposing unilateral changes to the status quo, and calling for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue without the threat or use of force or coercion.

An exhibition celebrating Taiwan achievements in expanding global participation was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oct. 21 at Taipei Guest House in the capital.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the flag-presentation ceremony for the 2023 Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program on October 18.

A workshop on measures for managing maritime disasters staged by Taiwan, the U.S., Japan, Australia and St. Lucia under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework wrapped up Oct. 19 in Taipei City, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The latest donation of US$1.5 million by Taiwan to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to deepen economic and technical cooperation among members is appreciated by the APEC Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oct. 13.

New Zealand held parliamentary elections on October 14. Based on current results, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, leader of the Labour Party, has conceded defeat to Christopher Luxon, head of the National Party, who is expected to form a new government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely congratulates New Zealand on the smooth completion of the elections, which exemplifies and demonstrates the success and accomplishments of its democracy.