At the most recent UN General Assembly, Saint Lucian Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, one of the nation’s diplomatic allies, said he was aware of the determination of Taiwanese and Chinese to unite their countries, and that his country looks forward to that, a document obtained by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) from the UN Web site said.
Hsiao disclosed Anthony’s statement, made at the 67th session of UN General Assembly on Sept. 28, yesterday at the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
A section regarding cross-strait relations was incorporated into Anthony’s eight-page statement, in which Anthony said: “The government of Saint Lucia is well aware of the determination of the Chinese people to unify their country, signaled to the world with the taking by China of its rightful place in this august body of the United Nations.”
“In that context, Saint Lucia welcomes the emerging dialogue and cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. This Cross Straight [sic] dialogue and cooperation will surely facilitate global harmony,” he said. “We look forward to a continued evolution of the ongoing peaceful rapprochement among the Chinese people as they search to unify their civilization.”
Hsiao asked Vice Foreign Minister Vanessa Shih (史亞平): “Why did [representatives from] our diplomatic allies make such a statement?”
“Could it be that it was what the ministry told our diplomatic allies? That we seek unification with China?” Hsiao asked.
Hsiao demanded the ministry look into what she called a “dereliction of duty” of Representative to Saint Lucia James Chang (章計平).
Saying that the statement by Anthony was “a very grave matter,” Hsiao said it could mislead the international community into thinking that Taiwan favors pursuing unification with China, which “in fact runs counter to the mainstream: maintaining the ‘status quo.’”
His statement could also cause misconceptions about the cross-strait ‘status quo,’ Hsiao added.
The general debate at the UN is the most important occasion for Taiwan to seek support from the international community for its participation in the international organization, in which Taiwan lost its seat to the People’s Republic of China in 1971.
Hsiao asked whether the ministry had provided Saint Lucia with information that led to Anthony’s statement, and also said it was unusual that, with the exception of Panama, the nation’s diplomatic allies in Central America — the Dominican Republic, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador — all failed to voice their support for Taiwan’s UN bid.
Shih said the ministry did not tell the Saint Lucia that Taiwan seeks unification with China.
“It could be his personal opinion,” Shih said.
The important part of Anthony’s statement was his praise for cross-strait rapprochement, Shih said.
Speaking by telephone, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs director-general Jaime Wu (吳進木) said the ministry lobbied diplomatic allies to speak up for Taiwan at the UN event, but it had no prior knowledge of what they were going to say.
According to the ministry’s understanding, based on previous interactions with Saint Lucia, Anthony meant unification in a cultural sense, not a political one, Wu said.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)