Taiwan will stay the course seeking participation in the international community, even though Beijing recently repeated that it was against allowing the nation international exposure and space, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
“In terms of diplomacy, China’s position has been consistent, but Taiwan will do what it should do,” Department of International Organizations Deputy Director-General Joseph Chow (周進發) told a regular press briefing.
Chow made the remarks in response to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊), who on Wednesday said that Beijing opposed Taiwan engaging in exchanges with officials of Beijing’s diplomatic allies, signing agreements with other countries in an official governmental capacity, or joining international organizations that require statehood.
Hong’s comments came after Taiwanese officials called for renewed efforts by Taipei to formalize its relations with the international community.
Representative to the UK Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) recently said in a speech in London that Taipei is endeavoring to make the ties with its non-diplomatic allies official and to join inter-governmental organizations and specialized agencies at the UN, as well as arrange visits to European countries by Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Sheng-chung (林聖忠) to negotiate on an economic deal with the EU.
“The Republic of China is an important country on the international stage in the fields of economics and technology. We wish to make more of a contribution to the international community. The participation of the 23 million people of Taiwan in international organizations also serves the interests of the whole international community,” Chow said.
Hong had simply repeated what Beijing has said in the past and he did not offer any new cross-strait diplomatic policies, Chow said.
Drawing from President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) inauguration address in 2008, Chow said that the cross-strait relationship could continue to develop “only when Taiwan is not isolated internationally,” and he urged China to face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China so that the two sides could create a win-win situation.
Taipei would not choose to refrain from making its case at international organizations in its official capacity just because of Beijing’s opposition, but rather it would adopt an approach that best fits Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in accordance with their respective constitutions, regulations and functions, he said.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique