The Guatemalan government on Thursday in a tweet commended Taiwan’s contribution in the area of sustainable development, amid growing concerns over the stability of bilateral ties after the Central American ally failed to support the nation’s UN bid for three years in a row.
“Taiwan is an important partner in the development of cooperation projects at the national level. Its contribution to the effective implementation of #Agenda2030 for sustainable development in Guatemala is commendable,” the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in Spanish in a tweet on its official Twitter account.
The tweet came as concerns over the two nations’ 85 years of diplomatic relations grew, given that Guatemala is the only diplomatic ally that failed to endorse Taiwan’s UN bid at the world body’s General Assembly in New York City, either through open remarks or a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Photo: Screen grab from the Internet
Five former allies have switched allegiance to China since May 2016.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday retweeted its Guatemalan counterpart’s post, expressing its gratitude to Guatemala for acknowledging Taiwan’s long-standing commitment to advancing sustainable national development in the Central American nation.
“Taiwan is Guatemala’s rock-solid partner in achieving shared prosperity,” the Taiwanese ministry wrote.
Later, in a press release, the Taiwanese ministry again thanked the Guatemalan government for supporting the nation’s international participation in speaking for it at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, in May, an event Taiwan was not invited to attend due to Chinese pressure.
“Our ties with Guatemala are stable and solid, with close bilateral collaborations on several projects,” the Taiwanese ministry said, adding that it appreciated its support for Taiwan’s cause at the UN and in other international arenas.
“We will continue to deepen our friendship,” it 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
‘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)
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