Up to 5000 people attended each meeting at Randaberg outside Stavanger in south west Norway during a week in July. Opening ceremony with female preacher, former Taiwan missionary Anna Sæther. The Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) started in Bergen after James Hudsen Taylor visited Norway in the 19th century. Norwegian Missionary Society, working for Africa, was established in 1842.Santal Mission, working for India, was established in 1868. No mission in 1890 worked for China. So inspired by Hudsen Taylor, some young women started the Norwegian Lutheran Federation of China Mission. Men took over the leadership and females had no rights to vote. Their first missionaries were sent to China in 1891.

Anna Sæther was missionary to Taiwan (1974 – 2014). She had the opening speech at this year´s general assembly of Norwegian Lutheran Mission. Dominated by males, the mission now wants more females to talk.

Her book (photo) with stories from Taiwan was reprinted and sold at the General Assembly. (Read more on the link https://norwaynews.com/en/~view.php73cDmI58d6kjc672O95353Ew9884bDP94544Ibv084kTOI88eSQ738)

When The Peoples Republic of China took the power in China in 1949, all missionaries had to leave the country. The Norwegian NLM missionaries started work in HongKong, Taiwan, Japan and Ethiopian.

This mission has expanded to more then ten countries and changed name to Norwegian Lutheran Mission. NLM has cooperative missions in Denmark (DLM), Iceland (ILK), Finland (FLOM) and Faroe Islands. Representatives of these were invited among with representatives from NLM suporter Hauge Foreign Mission in the USA and native coworkers from the churches in Taiwan (photo), Peru and Kenya. During the general assembly a flag from each country hang outside the meeting hall.

§1 in the constitution still says that the mission “is working to spread the Kingdom of God, preferably among China’s population.” The board suggested to change this sentence, but the majority at the General Assembly voted against it. Since 1997 the mission allows females to vote, but the board is still reserved for men. It was this year proposed to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 or 15, but it didn´t win a majority.

NLM is the biggest mission organisation in North Europe with about 50 000 affiliated. Most of them are members of Church of Norway as NLM has not been a registered denomination. As some members don´t feel at home in Church of Norway, the board suggested to establish NLM as a domination. 548 voted Yes, 121 voted No. Male missionaries are often pastors abroad, but only preachers in Norway. Now NLM will be established as a domination, but not necessarily become one. It will not get many members as most of the activists within NLM will remain in Church of Norway.

Rogaland is the county in Norway with most varied scenery, from the plains to steep mountains and deep fjords. Jon Arne Helgøy and his daughter Helene invited all the foreign guests on a great sightseeing trip on one of his boats (http://www.helgoy.no) in the Lysefjord where they saw waterfalls and steep mountains including the world famous Pulpit Rock.

On Saturday NLM arranged a mission run to collect money for their work in West Africa. Each runner had sponsors who gave a certain amount for each lap the runner made. In the small rain, pastor Du became warm pushing his wife, but she got cold sitting in the wheelchair. They gave up after 3 rounds to get warm cloth. Sponsors for all runners gave almost one million kroner all together.

During the Sunday service the last day, the couple Marita Vold and Ola Aasland Vold was inaugurated as missionaries to West Africa. They have a daughter Elisabeth. Sitting next to NLM secretary general Øyvind Åsland the missionary family wear Norwegian national costumes.

NLM don´t have missionaries in Taiwan any more. Anna Sæther was the last one and left Taiwan last year. She worked in Taipei, Yilan, Taoyaun and Hsinchu. In Asia, NLM still have missionaries in Japan, HongKong, Macao, Indonesia and Mongolien.

Offering via mobile banking terminals during the last meeting gave nearly 1.7 million kroner for the mission work. During the days of Norwegian Lutheran Mission´s general assembly in Rogaland 2015, NLM got 4,5 million kroner in offerings.

Next general assembly will be in Kristiansand, south Norway, in 2018.

Mr. Geir Yeh Fotland – Taiwan National Correspondent NORWAY NEWS.com
Email: – geiryeh@gmail.com, or news@norwaynews.com

Jo-Yu Chen is the first Taiwanese jazz artist in the world with full international launch on a multinational label. On Thursday March 5th she will have a concert at Bærum Kulturhus, Claude Monét allé 27 at Sandvika outside Oslo. She began her piano lessons at home in Taiwan as 5 years old and in addition to piano keys she also got a close relationship with oboe.In adulthood she went to New York and renowned Juilliard University for further studies, all the time it was about classical music. Arriving at New York she opened her ears for another term, namely jazz.
She has gone into the acclaimed series to Steinway Artists ( http://eu.steinway.com/en), and in July 2014 she played among others at the prestigious Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. Arthur Hnatek on drums and Chris Tordini on bass are members of her trio.

Jo-yu Chen is an unique musician with both exciting and original music. She is predicted a brilliant career. You may read more on her website http://www.joyuchen.com/about.php or listen to her music on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyQ1ArJ_ENY

She became Sony Music Artist and also just signed a booking contract with Sony Music Norway for Scandinavian countries. “Hopefully will perform in Nordic Countries more often in the future said to Norway News!!”

Mr. Geir Yeh Fotland – Taiwan National Correspondent NORWAY NEWS.com
Email: – geiryeh@gmail.com, or news@norwaynews.com
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Norwegian honorary citizen of plural cities in China had to give up her life. Mrs. Harbakk was often called China-Kari. She loved life and China and helped many orphans in China to get a new home in Norway. But there is much more to tell about her. (Kari Elizabeth Aarsheim Harbakk – 1940 Aug. 16th – 2014 Nov. 15th)
Eli Kvakland and Emil Kristoffer Aarsheim (photo of their biography published by Norwegian Mission Society in 1979), the parents of Kari, both went to Republic of China as missionaries for different Norwegian missions. They first met Autumn 1938 attending a course in Beijing, China.
Then Eli went back to North Manchuria and Emil to his work in Cha Har province. One year later they married in a German church in Beijing and both settled down in the winter cold Cha Har as missionaries for the Norwegian Mission Alliance.

In 1935 Dr. Kristoffer Fotland of the same mission reopened Edvard Gerrad Memorial Hospital in JiangJiaKou, more known in Norway those days as Kalgan, at the border to Inner Mongolien.
In August 1940 the Aarsheims went to the hospital to give birth to their first child. Eli rode a donkey for three days to get there from ChaHar. It was a warm August day when Kari was born, assisted by Dr. Fotland.

From 1942 and until Japan´s capitulation in 1945, the Aarsheim family and approximately 50 missionaries were detained at the hospital. During these years Kari got 3 siblings. Other Norwegians, Berly and Arnulf Solvoll, became parents at Jiang Jia Kou, so Kari had someone to play with. But their two first children got dysentery and died in 1944.

The journey to Norway was fatiguing. The Aarsheim family went through a war-torn China by foot and in open cattle wagons, before they through Shanghai managed to get to London on board a stuffed troop-carrier, alongside 5000 other war-weary soldiers and civilians. The journey ended in 1946 when they finally saw the Norwegian shoreline. The family moved to Stavanger, where Kari went to school until 1952 and the parents felt drawn to go back to China.

Meanwhile Mainland China had a new government that did not allow the family to enter. So the journey took them to Taiwan that still is Republic of China.

Kari and her 3 siblings joined Morrison Academy in Taichung. As graduate student in 1959 Kari did the entire artwork for the yearbook, The Morrisonian. (Photo from Carolyn Chandler Smith)

The photo above shows the graduating class of Morrison Academy in 1959. From left Millie Nelson (Samuelson), Kari Aarsheim (Harbakk) and her sister Inger Aarsheim (Burns), and Barbara Breeden (Jesse) modeling their chi-paos (Chinese dresses). (Photo from Carolyn Chandler Smith).

As high school in Norway did not accept graduate students form foreign schools, Kari travelled with her younger sister Inger to USA that same year to study at St. Olaf College.
In 1963 Kari got her bachelor in English literature. The next year she then spent teaching at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis before she went to Norway to visit her parents whom she had not seen for 6 years.

This journey back to Norway marked the start of a new era. She met a young theology student named Ernst Harbakk. During the summer 1966 the two were married.

Less then two years later she was on her way back to Taiwan as missionary together with her husband, but also with their first born daughter, Kristin, with them. Not long after, they were blessed with a second child, Inger-Terese.

After an ended language study, the family was transferred to HongKong where Kari and Ernst served the Norwegian Mission Society, Swedish Church Mission and the Nordic Christian Buddhist Mission for almost 20 years.

The time in HongKong was a rich time. The family grew from four to eight members. Sunniva and Rolf-Emil were born in HongKong, while Thomas was born in Vihn Long in Vietnam and Kristian in Nanjing.

Kari was from the start an active participant in missionary work. The work with children and education programs was closest to her heart. Her efforts in this area gained the acknowledgement and respect from her Chinese co-workers. When the mission started working with Vietnamese refugees. Kari poured her heart and soul into these projects. Kari founded the idea of using old, outdated, double-Decker buses as mobile schools and nurseries in the refugee camps of Tuen Mun and later in Kai Tak and Argyle Street. They stood the test of time and aided the work amongst the refugees in years to come.
The Aarsheim family lived from 1983 till 1992 up in the Shatin mountain at the Tao Fong Shan center (photo) of the Nordic Christian Buddhist Mission. It was founded by the Norwegian Dr. Karl Ludvig Reichelt and has a beautiful environment where the children felt at home and where they never wished to move away from. Despite this, it was also a time filled with turbulence and conflicts. The children noticed very little of this, largely due to the fact that Kari managed to shelter them from the troubles of the world at large. In the meantime, she was also a fantastic hostess for the thousands of guests who travelled from near and far to this place. This was also the time Kari started communications with the newly founded Amity Foundation in China, which needed over sea partners to contribute with development and financing of the program activities.

When the family moved to Norway for good in 1992, Kari was appointed as project leader of Aeropagos (new name of the Nordic Christian Buddhist Mission) where her responsibilities included developing collaborative relationships with the Church of China by initiating and supporting diagonal projects through the Amity Foundation.

In her role as project leader Kari established, among other things, work for the deaf and similar measures to improve the education possibilities for the mentally and the physically handicapped, and also managing to get support arrangements for orphans. Kari developed the project model she perhaps is best known for: “Mind and Body”. They consist of three components: clinic, women centers and schools. In total, Kari was responsible for the completion of almost 70 Mind and Body projects.

Kari has gained great recognition for her work in China. In Norway she received the King´s medal of Merit in 2009 and the Children of the World- award in 2005 with a check of 100000 Kroner. The money was used to finance a new school in a poor village near the border of Inner Mongolia. (http://www.idag.no/aktuelt-oppslag.php3?ID=15887).

In addition, Kari was awarded several prizes and honors in China. She is also an honorary citizen in Shandnong, Ganzu, at least 10 cities all together. She is rightfully referred to as China-Kari, as she was titled by a newspaper headline a few years ago.

Kari and Ernst adopted a son from China when living in HongKong. In 1988 Kari was asked by Verdens Barn (The World´s Children) and later also Adobsjonsforum (Adoption Forum) to be their midwife when it came to reaching adoption agreements with China. Her knowledge of the Chinese language proved particularly useful, and since 1991 several hundred parent couples in Norway have her to thank for bringing their adopted children home.

Many people attended the funeral at Farsund Chapel on November 25th.

– Every day, she lavished us with love and wisdom, and she was always there for us, her children said. – We learned so much from her. We learned to appreciate the little things. She thought us to see the beauty in nature and in each other. She is responsible for our love of China and the reason Asia is a part of our life and will always be a part of our identity. This love was given to her from her mother and passed on to us. We are passing this love on to our children, and because of that mamma will always live on. Mamma loved life and wanted us to love it too. She took such great care of us and never thought about herself. Even when she was at her sickest, she never complained and only cared about how we were doing.

Mr. Geir Yeh Fotland – Taiwan National Correspondent NORWAY NEWS.com
Email: – geiryeh@gmail.com, or news@norwaynews.com

Lillian Gabrielsen (1927.03.01 – 2014.11.23) was a missionary of Norwegian Mission Alliance and sent to Taiwan in 1958. After 35 years she retired in 1993 and returned to Norway. Miss Gabrielsen was engaged in health care, social service, and missionary work in Taiwan. Lillian Gabrielsen passed away in Gjovik, Norway, in November 2014. She was born March 1st 1927 in Oslo as the daughter of Helene and John Gabrielsen, but moved from Grefsen in Oslo to Biri before she with her family settled down in Gjovik when she about 10 years old.Her mother lived by sewing for people. The first Sunday after moving to Gjovik, an elderly cousin who lived nearby, came and asked if Lillian wanted to join in Sunday school. Yes, she did. Her mother was not a Christin, so the little girl had not been raised in a Christian family. After 3 years in Sunday school, nearly 13 years old, on February 5th 1940, she decided to follow Jesus.

At the age 16, Miss Taranger invited Gabrielsen for a visit to a nursing home at Kapp. At dinner Miss Taranger had a short devotional reading from Isaiah. 6.8 “..Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”
Photo by Ruth Hu.

– I knew that it was aimed at one of us sitting around the table, and it hit me like a shot, Lillian Gabrielsen once said. She felt the call to be a missionary.

At the same age Gabrielsen became a Sunday school teacher. She was allowed to use a whole floor in Gjovik elementary school with four to five classrooms.

Each class had two teachers who shared on each Sunday. Gabrielsen shared class with tailor Evensen, the head of the Prayer house. Many children wanted to join her class, because she was the youngest teacher, had short hair with no top in her neck and did not use glasses like the other teachers did. When the class grew to 40, she and Evensen shared class between themselves.

Soon after her decision to be a Christian, Germans occupied Norway. They also took the Prayer house where Gabrielsen used to go, so the meetings were moved to the People´s Hall. Close to her school, the Pentecostal congregation and the Salvation Army had there locations. She often went to their meetings as well. One of her uncles was a Pentecostal.

Gabrielsen loved working with children and was a good story teller. She had desire to become a teacher, but did not want to take on debt. As a missionary, she wanted nothing to tie her home in Norway.

After junior high school she attended a Bible school in fall 1948 and began nursing education at Aker Hospital in Oslo, graduating 1954. The school offered free living and pocket money. She also took postgraduate as surgical nurse in 1957 as she knew it would be of great use for Taiwan.
In 1958 she was sent by Norwegian Mission Alliance to Taiwan. First she studied Chinese at same time as she worked for Pingtung Christian Clinic. Then Miss Lillian took a language course in Taipei before she returned to Pingtung helping the Norwegian doctors Dr. Olav Bjorgaas in his lepracy clinic and Dr. Kristoffer Fotland in the operating theatre. In 1960 she moved to Changhua to take over the leprosy and evangelical work there. She sometimes went to the Chrisitian hospitals in Changhua, Puli and Pingtung to teach surgical technique and hygiene.

The winter 1960-1961 Frank (10-11), the oldest son of Kristoffer Fotland in Pingtung, went to the American dormitory school Morrison Academy in Taichung . He travelled home to Pingtung only one weekend every six weeks.

– Instead of sitting in the dormitory alone the other five weekends, I went to the neighbour city Changhua to visit Aunt Lillian as I called her, Frank Fotland recalls.

– She came to the bus station in Changhua and fetched me on her bicycle. She was like my second mother. I really looked forward to stay with her also because she served chocolate milk in the evening what I never got at home.

In 1966 Lillian Gabielsen stayed a time in Kaohsiung to help with leper, Sunday school and Bible school work. Then she moved back to Changhua for a couple of years doing work among young people and oscillated between Puli and Pingtung teaching surgical nursing.

When the Norwegian missionary Gudrun Stengel was to retire from her work in Hsinchu, Miss Gabrielsen moved north to take over the work. Except evangelic work the mission was also running a small home for handicapped children. Later Miss Lillian bought a property to build Bethany Children’s´ Home, an orphanage for 30 handicapped children. Many of the children were affected by poliomyelitis and had operations done by Dr. Kristoffer Fotland at Pingtung Christian Hospital. At Bethany the children received physical therapy, schooling and education.

In Hsinchu Miss Lillian Gabrielsen had three outposts with Sunday schools, riding her small scooter alone. Friends were anxious for her as a single missionary, but she told them she never felt unsafe in the traffic nor for criminals along the roads. In 1979 Josef Dahl, the Secretary General of her mission had his first visit to Taiwan, and Gabrielsen showed him her work by her scooter. (Photo).

The photo from 1979 shows Gabrielsen in front of one of the churches in Hsinchu. The building is today red.

Handicapped children were often hidden at home because the parents were ashamed and did´t know the children had a hope for a future. Miss Gabrielsen actively looked for homes with disabled children and asked the families to send their children to Bethany Children’s Home. As most families were poor and could not pay for the children´s accommodations, the Norwegian Missionary Alliance found private persons in Norway as sponsors.

In the beginning children with handicap had no access to primary schools in Taiwan. But thanks to the work of Dr. Olav Bjørgaas and Victory Home in Pingtung, they proved in 1965 that handicapped children could be the best students of the school. (https://norwaynews.com/en/~view.php?73BGhD58c8ih4672Qa4053gv7784dVX83544P52e84iQRQ88buQ6289)

Bethany Children’s Home made connection with the government to open special classes in Hsin-Chu Municipal Xi-Men Elementary School. Along with social service and physical therapy, Bethany Children’s Home also put up a shelter factory to teach the elder children skills and techniques to help them find a job. (Group photo from 1984.)

Often Miss Gabrielsen wrote articles for the mission magazine Misjonsvennen. The photo by Jeanette Landfeld of her writing Christmas cards was published in Dagbladet Dec. 10th, 2002

After seven periods and 35 years in Taiwan, she retired in Norway in 1993.

– My service on Taiwan was very versatile, it made it possible to hold out, she once said.

– I learned Mandarin Chinese as the official main language, and gradually Taiwanese and “Hakka” spoken by a separate ethnic group in Taiwan.

In an interview with Norway Today two years ago, she said

– I wish I had internet. Then I could maybe get in touch with “my” 160 kids from the orphanage for handicapped children. It was a success. Some of them have become professors. Two of them have taught in America, one is now back and teach in Taiwan.

Ruth Hu in Taipei heard about Miss Gabrielsen who in stead of finding a husband and make her own family, dedicated to use her whole life in care of the poor, sick, weak, and disabled people in Taiwan. Ms. Hu admired the sacrifice and dedication of the missionary´s life and nominated Lillian Gabrielsen to get an award from Taiwan. Ms. Hu went to Norway three times to visit Miss Gabrielsen.

She did some research among former children and staff of Bethany Children´s Home.

It was a wall around Bethany Children´s Home.

– Sometimes it was shortage of food, the budget was tight, Chang Wen-Cheng (in the middle in the photo) told Ruth Hu (left). He now works for the Department of Transportation, Taipei City Government.

– Boys and girls got the same amount, but we boys were more hungry. So when we heard a street vendor passing with his bell, we in secret trough a rope over the wall to buy more food with our pocket money.

– I remember as elementary school student, I used braces and crutches when walking. In those days, the shoes couldn’t be separated from the braces to be changed or cleaned. Therefore many students got infected with the Athlete’s Foot disease.

Miss Gabrielsen noticed this and washed our feet with great patience.

At my graduation year of junior high school, I rode my motorbike for a job interview at a factory. Then I was hit by an other motorcycle. A neighbour saw the accident and called Miss Gabrielsen. She rushed to help and accompanied me to the hospital for medication; She really took care of me like her own child.

Miss Gabrielsen lived out her faith and passed it on to me. She showed us how through prayers, she experienced Jesus’ help and guidance in life’s major and minor things. That helped me live and work in the society and face my life optimistically.

Ms. Chang Mei-Ling, standing right behind Miss Gabrielsen in the group photo, was a long term resident of Bethany and became after graduation a staff member. She now works for Eden Social Welfare Foundation. She said:

– Before the children started their homework after school, she told Bible stories and constantly encouraged and praised them. She built up their characters of self-confidence and gratefulness. Miss Gabrielsen always put her efforts to make a positive environment with love and never punished the children.

Every Sunday morning, she led the children to attend Sunday worship service at Meng-En Church. Every time when these disabled children with crutches and braces on the way to church, they were talking and walking joyfully with smiles. People were amazed how Miss Gabrielsen influenced these children and made such changes and impact on their life.

The mission work in Changhua and Hsinchu has been taken over by Chinese Christian Alliance Church (CCAC).

Lillian Gabrielsen returned to Taiwan twice after she retired, last time in 2003. Then the children´s home was gone. But she got the honour of cutting the ribbon for the new Bethany Home senior senter with 48 beds, established by CCAC in collaboration with the Taiwanese authorities.

Last year, Ruth Hu invited some friends of Lillian Gabrielsen to visit her in Norway. Standing from left are her former foster children Chang Wen-Cheng, Stan Lee and Chang Mei-Ling. Lillian at once knew their names and was so happy to see them.

As a memory of her, Ruth Hu made a film on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVSN0JMSdw&feature=youtu.be$

The funeral service of Miss Garielsen was on December 4 in the cruciform Biri Church, dating from 1777. (Interior photo by Ylva Shen). Relatives, friends, former missionaries to Taiwan as well as represent in Norway for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Taiwan, saw Lillian Gabrielsen off to her grave.

Bethany in Hsinchu, Taiwan, will have a memorial service on December 28th at No. 491, Sec. 1 Yanping Road. It will be reunion of former residents and staff members who together with political authorities will honour Lillian Gabrielsen.

Mr. Geir Yeh Fotland – Taiwan National Correspondent NORWAY NEWS.com
Email: – geiryeh@gmail.com, or news@norwaynews.com

According to Dagsavisen about 370,000 bicycles were sold in Norway in 2012, about 10,000 more than the year before. It might be thanks to the construction of many new bike paths. Among the bikes sold there were many children’s bikes and bikes primarily used for training in the forest. (http://www.dagsavisen.no/samfunn/fra-gasspedal-til-sykkelpedal/)

The Taiwanese community of the Republic of China in Norwegian Capital Oslo celebrated its 103rd National Day yesterday. Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Norway Mrs.Gloria Chen delivered the keynote address, saying that it is also a significant moment for us to remember the hardship and struggles our ancestors have overcome to fulfill the realization of liberty, democracy and prosperity in Taiwan, the concepts of democracy and rule of law are deeply embedded in Taiwan’s society. Taiwan is exporting democratic values to mainland China and Taiwan’s path towards democracy will serve as an inspiring model for mainland China to follow in the future. Taiwan concluded economic cooperation agreements with New Zealand and Singapore respectively, government has striven to improve relations with mainland China and to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait also actively functioned as a “peacemaker” and a “provider of humanitarian aid”, Gloria noted.
Several diplomats from foreign Embassies in Norway, Norwegian politicians and Members of parliaments, journalists, business people as well as other notable Norwegians and Taiwanese participated in the event to convey best wishes to the nation of Taiwan.
Opening remarks by Gloria Chen at Taiwan (ROC)’s 103rd National Day Reception.

Distinguished Guests, My fellow countrymen, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. During the transition period when we are still expecting the arrival of the new Representative of Taiwan to Norway, it is my great honour to heartily welcome you here to celebrate the 103rd National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It is a joyful time for us to celebrate the establishment of our nation. Yet it is also a significant moment for us to remember the hardship and struggles our ancestors have overcome to fulfill the realization of liberty, democracy and prosperity in Taiwan today, which we are very proud of and will surely continue our all-out efforts to make further progression.

Today, I am glad to share with you the substantial political and economic achievements Taiwan has made during the past year:
Firstly, the concepts of democracy and rule of law are deeply embedded in Taiwan’s society. A report issued by Freedom House rated Taiwan as one of the freest countries in Asia. Democracy has given Taiwan an international dignity and respect that a rising China itself does lack, as indicated by the fact that 140 countries and territories have accorded Taiwan’s nationals visa-free or landing visa treatment. With the increasing amount of interactions in trade, investment and social exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan is exporting democratic values to mainland China. Taiwan’s path towards democracy will serve as an inspiring model for mainland China to follow in the future.

Secondly, further economic liberalization sustains Taiwan’s growth. Taiwan is ranked No. 17 out of 185 countries in the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom. Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves totalled US$423 billion in August 2014, the fourth-largest in the world. Our economic growth is expected to reach 3.41 percent this year, increasing 1.3 percent from last year. Last year in July and November, Taiwan concluded economic cooperation agreements with New Zealand and Singapore respectively, which have not only generated great business interests for these three countries, but also added momentum to Taiwan’s economic and trade liberalization. In an effort to further promote liberalization and globalization, Taiwan has launched the “free economic pilot zone project,” and will actively participate in regional economic integration, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Thirdly, cross-Strait relations are now at their best since the two sides split over 60 years ago. Since President Ma Ying-jeou assumed office in 2008, the Taiwan government has striven to improve relations with mainland China and to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan and mainland China have so far held 10 rounds of talks and concluded 21 agreements. In February and June this year, our Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council met his mainland counterpart in Nanjing and Taipei respectively. These were the first formal ministerial-level meetings between Taiwan and mainland China since the two sides fell under separate governance in 1949. As of now, 118 regular cross-strait flights are scheduled each day. The number of mainland Chinese students studying in Taiwan has increased from 800 in 2007 to over 25,000 today. And during the same period, the number of mainland Chinese visitors to Taiwan has multiplied from 200,000 to 2.85 million. The positive development has won global recognition and Taiwan’s international participation has also been substantively improved.

Fourthly, as a responsible stakeholder in the international community, Taiwan has actively functioned as a “peacemaker” and a “provider of humanitarian aid.” In response to the Diaoyutai Islands issue, President Ma proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative in August, 2012, calling on all parties concerned to observe international law and resolve disputes through peaceful means. In a further effort to ensure regional stability, President Ma released the Statement on East China Sea Airspace Security in February this year, urging all parties concerned to initiate as soon as possible bilateral talks on the overlapping Air Defense Identification Zones. These efforts have been well received by the international community, and President Ma was awarded the Eisenhower Medallion last month by People to People International, which was founded by US President Eisenhower in 1956, in recognition of President Ma’s contribution to peace and stability in East Asia.

Peace is a commitment. To achieve and maintain it takes courage and determination. I do believe that Norway, an eminent international peacemaker, would certainly embrace our determined commitment to preserve peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and we are looking forward to enhancing our bilateral exchange and cooperation based on our common values.

Taiwan has always been keen on playing the role of a peacemaker, provider of humanitarian aid, promoter of cultural exchange, creator of innovative technology and business opportunity, and standard-bearer of Chinese culture. Taiwan will continue to contribute to regional peace and stability, global economic prosperity, and sustainable development for humankind.

In conclusion, may I invite you all to join me in a toast, to the everlasting friendship between Norway and Taiwan, to the success and prosperity of our two countries, and to the good health and personal well-being for all of you. Cheers! Thank you!

Gloria Chen made Further comments to NORWAY NEWS about present situation in Asia. Over the past few days, the situation in Hong Kong has attracted worldwide attention. The government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) are deeply concerned about recent developments, and we would like to take this opportunity to express our views and expectations she said.

Freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are the core values of Taiwan’s people. Taiwan has had universal suffrage for some time, and each time we hold elections many of our Hong Kong friends come to Taiwan to observe the proceedings. We fully understand and support the Hong Kong people’s demand for universal suffrage. As Hong Kong is an extremely important global financial center, any political turmoil that occurs there will impact not only Asia but the entire world. We therefore call on the mainland Chinese authorities to listen carefully to the demands of the Hong Kong people and adopt a peaceful and cautious approach to the current situation. At the same time, we urge Hong Kong residents to express their views in a peaceful and rational manner. We do not wish to see any conflicts. Observers outside Hong Kong hope that it will gradually move toward democracy. We believe that, if a system of universal suffrage can be realized there, both Hong Kong itself as well as mainland China would benefit Gloria said.

The Government of Taiwan does hope the demonstrators and authorities in Hong Kong can engage in a rational and peaceful dialogue, and we will continue to closely watch ongoing developments in Hong Kong, said Gloria to NORWAY NEWS.

Mainland Affairs Council Expresses Support for Democratic Universal Suffrage in Hong Kong and Calls for Rational and Peaceful Dialogue

In regard to recent actions by the people of Hong Kong seeking democratic universal suffrage, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) hereby issues the following four-point statement:

The government’s long-standing policy has always been to support freedom, democracy, prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong’s handover to mainland China, the ROC government has always respected and had high hopes for the governance of Hong Kong and promotion of Hong Kong Chief Executive Election by universal suffrage to be implemented in accordance to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The people of Hong Kong have long held high expectations to carry out democratic universal suffrage, and regards it as an indicator of the Mainland’s intention to honor its “one country, two systems” pledge. Freedom and democracy are values in line with the developments of the times and are also conducive to Hong Kong’s future stability and prosperity, thus the ROC government hereby expresses sincere concern and support for the Hong Kong people’s pursuit of democracy.

It is hoped that the Mainland and Hong Kong authorities may listen to the people’s voices, seek common ground with the Hong Kong people through peaceful and rational measures, protect the Hong Kong people’s freedom of assembly and speech and other basic human rights so as to allow smooth democratic progression in Hong Kong. This would not only ensure Hong Kong’s long-term stability, but would also hold strong significance for long-term cross-strait development and be a key milestone on the whole ethnic Chinese society’s path towards democracy and rule of law.

The MAC will continue to closely watch ongoing developments in Hong Kong. In order to safeguard the rights, interests and security of Taiwanese people in Hong Kong, the MAC has also instructed the Bureau of Hong Kong Affairs to stay abreast of related developments and to formulate preparatory contingency measures.

(NADARAJAH SETHURUPAN)

South African anti-apartheid hero Albie Sachs and former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, hailed as the “godmother” of sustainable development, were among five people Thursday presented with the first Tang Prize, touted as Asia’s version of the Nobels. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou presented the awards, which honour outstanding contributions to the environment, human rights, medicine and Sinology.Brundtland, recognised for her life-long dedication to protection of the environment, called for urgent action to address environmental and climate change over the last quarter of a century.
“We’re not far sighted enough to do what is needed” on climate change, she warned, addressing the guests invited to the presentation ceremony in Taipei.

But she added: “I do believe we’ll be able to lay out scientific and technical challenges for the global communities towards a better balance of economic development, environment integrity and social quality for the benefit of all humanity.”

A former director general of the World Health Organization, she also headed the UN World Commission on Environment and Development. The commission’s work paved the way to the first Earth Summit, which led to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases.

Sachs, who lost an arm and the sight of one eye in a car-bombing by apartheid forces in Mozambique in 1988 and was later appointed to South Africa’s Constitutional Court by Nelson Mandela, was recognised “for his many contributions to human rights and justice globally”.

Also among the first recipients of the prize founded in 2012 by Samuel Yin, one of the richest men in Taiwan, were immunologists James P. Allison of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University for their contributions in the fight against cancer.

The other recipient was Chinese American historian and Sinologist Yu Ying-shih, the winner in the Sinology category.

Each winner received Tw$50 million ($1.7 million), with Tw$40 million in cash and the remainder in a grant—a richer purse than the eight million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) that comes with a Nobel Prize.

Named after China’s Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the prize was founded in 2012 with a donation of Tw$3 billion.

Yin has said he will donate 95 percent of his wealth to charity during his lifetime. His net assets are estimated by Forbes magazine at $4.5 billion.

(phys)

Norwegian missionary doctor Olav Bjørgaas has been awarded the “Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal” by a Taiwanese non-profit organization in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan. Chou Chin-hua, founder of the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, and Guo Ying-lan, chairwoman of the foundation, presented the medal to Bjørgaas in the Norwegian city of Stavanger Aug. 22.Bjørgaas, 88, was first dispatched to Taiwan in 1954 to care for leprosy patients at the Lo-Sheng Sanatorium in Taipei.
He later founded the Pingtung Christian Hospital and Taiwan’s first nursing home for disabled children.

Until his retirement and departure from Taiwan in 1984, he had cared for over 6,000 leprosy patients and 18,000 polio patients.

The Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation was established in memory of child cancer fighter Chou Ta-kuan, who died in 1997 at the age of 10.

The “Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal” was set up by his parents to commemorate Chou’s love of life and striving spirit and to encourage people to cherish and respect life.

(roc-taiwan)