The ROC held a 21-gun salute Oct. 22 to welcome the president of the Republic of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli. On top of a meeting and a state banquet with ROC President Ma Ying-jeou, the Panamanian ministerial delegation led by Martinelli will visit the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. and the Taipei International Flora Expo, whose soft opening has already begun. The president of the Central American country, a diplomatic ally of the ROC for more than a century, will also host a seminar on Panama’s trade and investment opportunities before wrapping up his three-day state visit to Taiwan Oct. 23.
The Taiwanese film “No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti” is set to be shown in French cinemas starting Oct. 27. The movie, based on the true story of a dock worker in southern Taiwan fighting to reclaim the custody of his seven-year-old daughter, stirred audiences at its premiere in Paris Oct. 21. France is the first European country to import the movie, whose title means “I cannot live without you” in Spanish, for commercial showing. The film, directed by Leon Dai, won the Golden Cyclo award at France’s Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema earlier this year.
A two-member Taiwanese team won the gold medal for the group category at the sixth International Fine Food Health Competition in Korea. The event, running from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19, saw more than 170 teams from over 10 countries compete to make dishes that are both wholesome and mouthwatering. With their many years of experience, chefs Chen Yung-fu and Chang Chien Ming-yu were able to trump other competitors by making innovative dishes that combined various ingredients with Chinese herbal materials and Korean kimchi. (HZW)
Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw