Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
Chen revealed his plans while speaking at a session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee. The session was held to discuss the nation's diplomatic situation in light of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) inauguration for a second four-year term.
During the session, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Sun Kuo-hua (
In response, Chen said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently given priority to forging closer ties with the EU. With the number of EU member states expanding from 15 to 25 last month, Chen said Taiwan must make an even greater effort to promote relations with the bloc.
Barring unexpected developments, Chen said he would leave on his European trip next month with a view to integrating the resources of the Taiwan representative offices in European countries.
Asked whether the ministry has been pressured by the US over its arms procurement budget, Chen said that "although our diplomatic staff may talk about arms procurement plans with American officials in private, the weaponry procurement issue is principally handled by the Ministry of National Defense. The foreign ministry has not so far felt any US pressure over the arms procurement plan."
Opposition lawmakers brought up the issue of arms purchases because the Cabinet last week passed a ministry-proposed NT$610.8 billion (US$18.5 billion) plan to buy weapons from the US.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard