Taiwan's ambassador to Senegal, Huang Yun-cheh (
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said that Huang had met with Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Chen (陳唐山) on Monday afternoon for a detailed report on the matter. Lu said that Huang had promised to shoulder the responsibility for the nation losing another ally.
Lu said that as Huang's ambassadorship had been a political appointment, his position was terminated because he had nothing left to do in Senegal.
Senegal's move came as a shock to the nation as it gave no prior warning that it would resume diplomatic ties with Beijing. Huang was heavily criticized for not seeing any warning signs of an imminent diplomatic setback.
Senegal first established diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1960, but these were severed in 1964. In 1996, the two countries restored relations, which lasted until last Tuesday, when Senegal switched its diplomatic allegiance to Beijing.
According to Lu, Huang attributed his being unaware of the situation to "deliberate concealment" by Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, who allegedly leaked the news to only a few aides around him. A number of top-ranking officials who have the president's ear were allegedly excluded from Wade's scheme to re-establish ties with Beijing.
Huang refused to speak to the press yesterday, saying he had already reported to Chen in detail, Lu said.
In other developments, it was reported on Saturday that Taiwan's relations with the Holy See are under threat, as the Vatican is preparing to break its ties with Taiwan and establish diplomatic relations with China within 18 months.
An anonymous source in the Vatican was quoted as saying that "it is not a question of whether the Vatican will reach a deal with Beijing, but when."
The issue that up to now has prevented the Vatican from establishing ties with Beijing is the Pope's right to appoint bishops in China. Officially Catholics in China can only attend state-sanctioned churches in a "Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association" led by bishops appointed by Beijing. However, underground Catholic practitioners reportedly number more than 8 million -- and are often persecuted by Chinese authorities.
Lu said he hadn't heard of the Vatican's alleged 18-month time-frame to beak ties with Taiwan and reiterated that, in the foreseeable future, China's lack of respect for religious freedom will remain a major block to normalizing its relations with the Vatican.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
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One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
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