Former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) yesterday expressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) Taiwan’s intent to take part in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) during a brief exchange of greetings, and Beijing is willing to improve contacts with Taiwan to discuss issues related to Taiwan’s possible participation, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) said.
Wang made his remarks in response to a question from reporters after attending the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern Chinese province of Hainan.
Siew talked to Xi for less than a minute prior to the opening of the forum, in a stark departure from a previous instance that saw Xi sit down with Taiwan’s delegation for a closed-door meeting.
Photo: CNA
Xi walked into a room at 9:24am, shaking hands with each member of Taiwan’s delegation and posing for a group photograph.
Siew then walked over to Xi for a talk lasting about 45 seconds before Xi left the room at 9:27am.
Sources said that Xi nodded to Siew when Siew expressed Taiwan’s interests in the AIIB.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), who was present, later told reporters that Taiwan certainly has a chance to join the AIIB, but China has not yet received a formal request from the nation.
Zhang said he would listen to Taiwan’s views when he has a chance to talk to Siew.
Beijing is willing to improve contacts with Taiwan to discuss issues related to its possible inclusion in the AIIB, Wang said later.
Participants in the multilateral finance organization are required to meet certain standards and engage in certain negotiations, he added.
Separately, Russia announced its intention to join the regional development bank as well.
Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency reported the nation’s participation.
“I’d like to inform you that Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the decision that Russia will participate in the capital of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ,” Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said, the agency reported.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS