A sister-city agreement between Greater Kaohsiung and the Maldivian capital, Male, was declared invalid by the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, one day after the pact was signed.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official in Taipei yesterday said it was the first time a local government’s efforts to establish sister-city ties with a foreign city had been thwarted due to apparent pressure from China.
The Greater Kaohsiung Government has not yet responded to the Maldivian statement, posted on the Web site of the Maldivian ministry, which said that the government of the Maldives “does not recognize the memorandum of understanding.”
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung City
The government reaffirms its commitment and support to China’s national unity and to the “one China” policy, the statement said.
The Maldives’ firm belief in the “one China” policy is guided by the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of states and it considers Taiwan an integral part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the statement said.
China is a very important development partner for the Maldives and the government of the Maldives will continue to work with the PRC government to strengthen the close ties of friendship and cooperation that exist between the two countries, the statement said.
The signing ceremony was held on Sunday, just hours after a delegation of Greater Kaohsiung Government officials led by Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) arrived in Male for the four-day visit. The main purpose of trip was to sign the agreement.
The delegation is scheduled to return home tomorrow.
A Greater Kaohsiung Government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to reporters, said the idea for the sister-city link was proposed by Male Mayor Maizan Ali Maniku when he visited Greater Kaohsiung in November last year.
Ali Maniku and his delegation were interested in learning about Kaohsiung’s experience in promoting sustainable development, the official said.
Ali Maniku met with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) and they decided to become sister cities to forge a partnership on sustainable development, the official said. The two sides had discussions that led to the signing of the agreement covering urban infrastructure, tourism, the environment and the social and cultural arenas, she said.
Greater Kaohsiung was the first city in the nation to become a formal municipal member of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), which was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.
The ICLEI designated Greater Kaohsiung as one of its seven mentor cities in May last year in recognition of its achievements in promoting sustainable development.
At last year’s ICLEI World Congress, Greater Kaohsiung was assigned to mentor Male and help it facilitate sustainability.
A press release from the Greater Kaohsiung Government said the delegation had shared with its hosts the city’s experience in drainage pipeline network management, waste disposal, offshore submerged breakwaters, plant diseases and pest control, and solar power development. The delegation also conducted a field study of Male’s construction of a rainwater sewer system, erosion-prone sea embankment and how it deals with waste disposal and processes raw kitchen waste, the press release said.
Male would have been Greater Kaohsiung’s 28th sister city and Kaohsiung would have been Male’s second.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS