Good Morning World》President Arrives in Eswatini, Emphasizing Justice and Rational Response to Suppression
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Eswatini for a state visit, emphasizing security, economic, and digital cooperation. This article is a compilation of multiple news items, including the President's diplomatic efforts, Hantavirus cases in Taiwan, weather forecasts, the diplomatic dispute between China and Canada over Taiwan, the Middle East situation, the investigation into a China Eastern Airlines crash, Taiwan's gasoline price stability, Taiwan-U.S. supply chain cooperation, and Taiwanese students' success in a robotics competition.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 08:59
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 09:31 (32 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 09:34 (2 min after Collected)
Central News
President Lai Ching-te announced on the evening of the 2nd that he has arrived in the African ally Eswatini for a state visit. The Presidential Office stated that President Lai will witness the signing ceremony of a customs mutual assistance agreement with the King of Eswatini and sign a joint communiqué. This visit will focus on three main axes: shared security, shared economy, and shared digitalization, to deepen bilateral friendship. The President said that the original visit scheduled for April 22 was temporarily postponed due to unforeseen external forces, but after careful arrangement by the diplomatic and national security teams, he has successfully arrived. He emphasized that walking towards the world and mutual benefit with every good force is an inalienable right of the Taiwanese people and a promise to the world. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that this proves Taiwan's right and freedom to go global, and the world welcomes Taiwan with open arms; the government will continue to demonstrate stable diplomatic dynamism, not back down in the face of suppression, and insist on unwavering democracy. (See full report)
Following the first case of Hantavirus syndrome in Taipei City this year, a 70-year-old male in New Taipei City recently sought medical attention for fever, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal discomfort and was diagnosed with the second case of Hantavirus, and has now been discharged. The source of infection is still under investigation. Recently, citizens have frequently reported rats appearing in broad daylight on the streets of Taipei. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated that the overall urban environment will be cleaned and disinfected as planned. As for the large-scale deployment of rat poison in some areas, the Ministry of Environment stated that preventing rat infestations should prioritize environmental tidying and supplement with agents; wildlife conservation groups also reminded that the abuse of rat poison may poison natural predators, which could ironically lead to an increase in the rat population. (See full report)
The Central Weather Administration stated that temperatures will rise slightly during the day on the 3rd, with highs of about 31 to 34 degrees Celsius in the western half. In the evening, the plum rain front will approach, and northern and central Taiwan will first experience temporary showers or thunderstorms, with overall temperatures dropping. On the 4th, the front will pass, bringing continuous rainfall, while from the 6th to the 8th, the weather will be relatively stable, turning to an easterly or southerly wind pattern, with highs of about 27 to 30 degrees. The next plum rain front is expected to affect Taiwan from the 9th, but like the plum rain front on the evening of the 3rd, the intensity of rainfall brought will be moderate. (See full report)
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di recently stated in an interview that if Canada and China want to continue to advance relations, the Taiwan issue is an insurmountable “red line,” and said that Canadian warships crossing the Taiwan Strait and parliamentary members contacting Taiwanese officials violate the “one China” principle. In response, several Canadian senators and representatives publicly voiced support for Taiwan; Representative Kelly Hsieh in Canada also criticized China for weaponizing trade. Senate opposition leader Pierre Poilievre stated that he recently met with Taiwanese legislators, “I will go again.” Conservative Party Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman posted a photo with President Lai Ching-te, saying that Canada does not need to bargain with bullies, but should send more parliamentarians to visit Taiwan and more warships to exercise freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. (See full report)
Middle East conflict is ongoing, with reports that Iran has submitted its latest peace proposal with the U.S. to Pakistani mediators. U.S. President Trump stated on the 1st that Iran wants a deal, but he is not satisfied with Tehran's current proposal. On the same day, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on three Iranian foreign exchange companies to cut Tehran's “financial lifeline” in the Middle East war and sanctioned a Chinese oil terminal; it also warned that ships paying Iran's demanded “tolls” would face consequences. In addition, as the U.S. and Europe disagree on the Iran conflict, the Pentagon announced that it would cut U.S. troops stationed in Germany, with an estimated 5,000 to be withdrawn in the next 6 to 12 months. (See full report)
Deutsche Welle Chinese reported that China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 crashed in March 2022, killing all 132 people on board. China has yet to release the final investigation report, but it is widely rumored that the pilot intentionally caused the vertical crash due to resentment. Earlier this year, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, at the request of an anonymous person, provided raw black box data, showing that the fuel switches of the two engines were cut off, and a pilot's control stick was violently pushed down; 23 seconds after the engines cut fuel, the black box stopped recording. According to reports, a Chinese social media document circulated last year, indicating that an application to disclose the progress of the accident investigation was rejected on the grounds that “the information you applied for public disclosure may endanger national security, social stability... and it was decided not to disclose it.” (See full report)
Due to the situation in the Middle East, international oil prices have risen. Taiwan CPC announced on the 2nd that to care for domestic livelihoods and stabilize prices, gasoline and diesel prices will remain unchanged next week (from midnight on the 4th to 12:00 PM on the 10th), and the price of 95 unleaded gasoline, which has the largest sales volume in Taiwan, will remain at NT$33.9. Taiwan CPC statistics show that from the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war on February 28 to May 3, the total amount absorbed for gasoline and diesel is estimated to be approximately NT$13.2 billion, hoping to reduce the impact on people's daily lives and industrial operations while balancing market mechanisms, and continue to maintain stable domestic prices. (See full report)
To deepen Taiwan-U.S. supply chain cooperation, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua visited the U.S. to preside over the unveiling ceremony of the “Phoenix Taiwan Trade and Investment Center” in Arizona and visited TSMC's advanced wafer fabrication plant in the area, hoping to create a more resilient transnational supply chain system through public-private sector cooperation. This center is the second trade and investment service hub established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the U.S. and will assist Taiwanese enterprises in deploying in the U.S. market, participating in local manufacturing and innovation systems, and further promoting the “Taiwan-U.S. Investment Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding.” The Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that Arizona is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner in the U.S., with bilateral trade totaling US$21.237 billion in 2025. (See full report)
The “2026 VEX Robotics World Championship,” considered an annual event for global student robotics competitions, concluded on April 30 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. A Taiwanese team of approximately 126 students competed and exchanged skills with top players from around the world, winning multiple major awards including the Innovation Award, Invention Award, and Best Design Award. Representative Kelly Hsieh in Denver immediately congratulated the participating teams and conveyed congratulatory messages from President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, recognizing Taiwanese students' shining performance in a world-class competition and thanking them for allowing the world to better understand Taiwan. (See full report)
The 115th National University Games opened on the evening of the 2nd, with swimming events starting early.
President Lai Ching-te announced on the evening of the 2nd that he has arrived in the African ally Eswatini for a state visit. The Presidential Office stated that President Lai will witness the signing ceremony of a customs mutual assistance agreement with the King of Eswatini and sign a joint communiqué. This visit will focus on three main axes: shared security, shared economy, and shared digitalization, to deepen bilateral friendship. The President said that the original visit scheduled for April 22 was temporarily postponed due to unforeseen external forces, but after careful arrangement by the diplomatic and national security teams, he has successfully arrived. He emphasized that walking towards the world and mutual benefit with every good force is an inalienable right of the Taiwanese people and a promise to the world. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that this proves Taiwan's right and freedom to go global, and the world welcomes Taiwan with open arms; the government will continue to demonstrate stable diplomatic dynamism, not back down in the face of suppression, and insist on unwavering democracy. (See full report)
Following the first case of Hantavirus syndrome in Taipei City this year, a 70-year-old male in New Taipei City recently sought medical attention for fever, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal discomfort and was diagnosed with the second case of Hantavirus, and has now been discharged. The source of infection is still under investigation. Recently, citizens have frequently reported rats appearing in broad daylight on the streets of Taipei. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated that the overall urban environment will be cleaned and disinfected as planned. As for the large-scale deployment of rat poison in some areas, the Ministry of Environment stated that preventing rat infestations should prioritize environmental tidying and supplement with agents; wildlife conservation groups also reminded that the abuse of rat poison may poison natural predators, which could ironically lead to an increase in the rat population. (See full report)
The Central Weather Administration stated that temperatures will rise slightly during the day on the 3rd, with highs of about 31 to 34 degrees Celsius in the western half. In the evening, the plum rain front will approach, and northern and central Taiwan will first experience temporary showers or thunderstorms, with overall temperatures dropping. On the 4th, the front will pass, bringing continuous rainfall, while from the 6th to the 8th, the weather will be relatively stable, turning to an easterly or southerly wind pattern, with highs of about 27 to 30 degrees. The next plum rain front is expected to affect Taiwan from the 9th, but like the plum rain front on the evening of the 3rd, the intensity of rainfall brought will be moderate. (See full report)
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di recently stated in an interview that if Canada and China want to continue to advance relations, the Taiwan issue is an insurmountable “red line,” and said that Canadian warships crossing the Taiwan Strait and parliamentary members contacting Taiwanese officials violate the “one China” principle. In response, several Canadian senators and representatives publicly voiced support for Taiwan; Representative Kelly Hsieh in Canada also criticized China for weaponizing trade. Senate opposition leader Pierre Poilievre stated that he recently met with Taiwanese legislators, “I will go again.” Conservative Party Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman posted a photo with President Lai Ching-te, saying that Canada does not need to bargain with bullies, but should send more parliamentarians to visit Taiwan and more warships to exercise freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. (See full report)
Middle East conflict is ongoing, with reports that Iran has submitted its latest peace proposal with the U.S. to Pakistani mediators. U.S. President Trump stated on the 1st that Iran wants a deal, but he is not satisfied with Tehran's current proposal. On the same day, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on three Iranian foreign exchange companies to cut Tehran's “financial lifeline” in the Middle East war and sanctioned a Chinese oil terminal; it also warned that ships paying Iran's demanded “tolls” would face consequences. In addition, as the U.S. and Europe disagree on the Iran conflict, the Pentagon announced that it would cut U.S. troops stationed in Germany, with an estimated 5,000 to be withdrawn in the next 6 to 12 months. (See full report)
Deutsche Welle Chinese reported that China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 crashed in March 2022, killing all 132 people on board. China has yet to release the final investigation report, but it is widely rumored that the pilot intentionally caused the vertical crash due to resentment. Earlier this year, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, at the request of an anonymous person, provided raw black box data, showing that the fuel switches of the two engines were cut off, and a pilot's control stick was violently pushed down; 23 seconds after the engines cut fuel, the black box stopped recording. According to reports, a Chinese social media document circulated last year, indicating that an application to disclose the progress of the accident investigation was rejected on the grounds that “the information you applied for public disclosure may endanger national security, social stability... and it was decided not to disclose it.” (See full report)
Due to the situation in the Middle East, international oil prices have risen. Taiwan CPC announced on the 2nd that to care for domestic livelihoods and stabilize prices, gasoline and diesel prices will remain unchanged next week (from midnight on the 4th to 12:00 PM on the 10th), and the price of 95 unleaded gasoline, which has the largest sales volume in Taiwan, will remain at NT$33.9. Taiwan CPC statistics show that from the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war on February 28 to May 3, the total amount absorbed for gasoline and diesel is estimated to be approximately NT$13.2 billion, hoping to reduce the impact on people's daily lives and industrial operations while balancing market mechanisms, and continue to maintain stable domestic prices. (See full report)
To deepen Taiwan-U.S. supply chain cooperation, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua visited the U.S. to preside over the unveiling ceremony of the “Phoenix Taiwan Trade and Investment Center” in Arizona and visited TSMC's advanced wafer fabrication plant in the area, hoping to create a more resilient transnational supply chain system through public-private sector cooperation. This center is the second trade and investment service hub established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the U.S. and will assist Taiwanese enterprises in deploying in the U.S. market, participating in local manufacturing and innovation systems, and further promoting the “Taiwan-U.S. Investment Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding.” The Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that Arizona is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner in the U.S., with bilateral trade totaling US$21.237 billion in 2025. (See full report)
The “2026 VEX Robotics World Championship,” considered an annual event for global student robotics competitions, concluded on April 30 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. A Taiwanese team of approximately 126 students competed and exchanged skills with top players from around the world, winning multiple major awards including the Innovation Award, Invention Award, and Best Design Award. Representative Kelly Hsieh in Denver immediately congratulated the participating teams and conveyed congratulatory messages from President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, recognizing Taiwanese students' shining performance in a world-class competition and thanking them for allowing the world to better understand Taiwan. (See full report)
The 115th National University Games opened on the evening of the 2nd, with swimming events starting early.