German Institute Taipei Director-General Martin Eberts has again lent support to Taiwan’s bid for international participation, saying that such efforts should not be hindered due to ideological motives.
Eberts, who has since August 2014 served as Germany’s de facto ambassador to Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, made the remarks at a ceremony in Taipei on Friday to exchange documents with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pertaining to a bilateral agreement on Taiwan-Germany cooperation in the area of emissions trading.
The agreement — which aims for bilateral exchange on all aspects of emissions trading, including monitoring, reporting and verifying emissions — took effect after it was signed by Representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) in Berlin on April 4 and by Eberts in Taipei on Monday last week.
Screengrab from the German Institute’s Facebook account
In a statement posted on Facebook yesterday, the institute quoted Eberts as saying at the ceremony that Taiwan’s participation in the international arena is highly appreciated by Germany and that it “must not be hindered or impeded out of ideological motives and political ill will.”
Describing Taiwan as a valuable player in international climate protection efforts, international health policies and other fields of multilateral cooperation, Eberts said Taipei should be able to continue playing the role and contribute even more.
“It is in this spirit that we have concluded our agreement,” Eberts said.
It is the second time in a week that Eberts has spoken out in support of Taiwan’s international participation, after he expressed the hope on the sidelines of an energy transition forum in Taipei on Thursday last week that Taiwan would not suffer from international isolation due to bullying.
Eberts’ remarks came as the nation still awaits an invitation to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA), which is to be held from May 21 to May 26 in Geneva, Switzerland, and whose registration deadline is tomorrow.
Taiwan first participated in the WHA as an observer in 2009, one year after then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office and his administration pursued a more conciliatory policy toward Beijing.
The nation was until last year invited to the annual meeting as an observer, when it failed to receive an invitation due to Chinese pressure.
The last invitation was received only days before President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office on May 20, 2016, and came with an unprecedented mention of Beijing’s “one China” principle.
Despite the nation not having received an invitation this year, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) is to lead a delegation to Geneva to meet with medical industry professionals from around the world, and keep in touch with the nation’s allies to encourage more proactive support for Taiwan’s bid to participate in the WHA as an observer.
Some nations that do not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, such as the US, have also promised to express support for the nation’s participation as an observer during the sessions, sources said, adding that support on the issue is even greater than it was last year.
Taiwan’s representative office in Geneva is to hold an informal foreign affairs gathering on the evening before the WHA commences, and ranking officials from several nations are expected to attend, the sources said.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Nerissa Cook might attend on behalf of the US, the sources said, adding that representatives from Japan, Canada and several European countries are also expected to attend and show their support for Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the WHA.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it expects Taiwanese officials to hold 60 bilateral talks with different foreign representatives over the course of the one-week WHA.
Additional reporting by Su Yung-ya
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
GLOBAL PROJECT: Underseas cables ‘are the nervous system of democratic connectivity,’ which is under stress, Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols said The government yesterday launched an initiative to promote global cooperation on improved security of undersea cables, following reported disruptions of such cables near Taiwan and around the world. The Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables aims to “bring together stakeholders, align standards, promote best practices and turn shared concerns into beneficial cooperation,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a seminar in Taipei. The project would be known as “RISK,” an acronym for risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform and knowledge building, he said at the seminar, titled “Taiwan-Europe Subsea Cable Security Cooperation Forum.” Taiwan sits at a vital junction on
RSS