Two top British government officials have expressed their support for Taiwan’s bid to participate as an observer in an upcoming UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference.
The 24th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, or COP24, is scheduled to start today in Katowice, Poland, and end on Dec. 14. The UNFCCC is an international treaty aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations and preventing their interference with the global climate system.
Taiwan has since 2009 lobbied to be included in the UNFCCC. Although it is not a member of the UN, Taiwan was allowed to attend one previous climate change meeting.
In response to a written question from British MP George Howarth, British Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Claire Perry on Thursday said in a written answer that the UK’s cooperation on renewable energy with Taiwan has been part of bilateral commercial and economic ties.
The British government last year agreed to start an official dialogue on energy as a component of annual trade talks, with the first meeting taking place in June this year in London between officials of the British Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the British Department for International Trade, and a Taiwanese delegation led by the Bureau of Energy, she said.
“Broader energy and climate change cooperation between the UK and Taiwan is part of our economic and commercial relationship,” Perry said. “We expect this engagement to continue in the margins of the 24th Conference of the Parties under the UNFCCC next month [this month], though no formal plans have yet been made.”
“Broad cooperation is vital for tackling this global issue,” she added.
In response to a written question by MP Scott Mann, British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field on Tuesday said that the British government has consistently stated its support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations where the UK believes Taiwan has a valuable contribution to make on issues of global concern.
“This includes the issue of climate change, which does not recognize the concept of territorial boundaries,” Field said in a written answer. “The British government welcomes the contribution Taiwan voluntarily makes in combating climate change, despite not being a signatory to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and we continue to work closely with Taiwan on this matter.”
Representative to the UK David Lin (林永樂) expressed gratitude to the British government for its support of Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, as well as its friendship with Taiwan.
Earlier this month, the British government said it would discuss with its international partners about Taiwan’s bid to participate in the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, as an observer.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
RSS