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
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS