In response to the article "Poor word choice or a policy shift?" (Oct. 27, page 8): US Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks that "Taiwan does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation" confuses a policy expedient ("one China") with reality.
The Republic of China (ROC)meets the four criteria for statehood as defined by the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States: one, a permanent population; two, a defined territory; three, government; and four, capacity to enter into relations with other states. The Convention says, "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by other states" and "Recognition is unconditional and irrevocable." Just because the US doesn't recognize President Fidel Castro's Cuba doesn't mean Cuba is not a state. The US transfer of recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 did not cause the ROC to cease to be a state.
Powell's expectation that Beijing and Taipei will move toward a "peaceful unification" violates the decades-old nuanced US policy of peaceful resolution of differences between Taiwan and China, while not prejudicing any final outcome.
Vincent Wang
Richmond, Virginia
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS