The Marshall Islands government said yesterday it was worried about the impact on relations with ally Taiwan from a pending visit to China by a group of parliamentarians from the tiny western Pacific nation.
The Marshall Islands is one of six Pacific island states which recognize Taipei rather than Beijing. China and Taiwan have been competing for diplomatic recognition in the Pacific using generous grants and aid to win favor.
Marshall Islands Vice Speaker Ruben Zackhras is leading a delegation of legislators to Beijing next week, following an invitation by China's National People's Congress. Taiwan said earlier this month it was unhappy about the visit.
Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Gerald Zackios said yesterday he was extremely concerned because it had the appearance of a government-to-government visit.
The government could not intervene in what was a private visit, he said.
"But it is one with government implications, we have every right to be concerned," he said.
Zackios said the relationship with Taiwan had real benefits for the Marshall Islands and Taipei had shown it was committed for the long term.
The head of the foreign affairs ministry Viola Chong Gum said that the Marshall Islands remained committed to the relationship with Taiwan.
"The proposed visit by several members of the Nitijela [parliament] to the People's Republic of China does not convey, nor does it portray any faltering of the Marshall Islands' relationship and recognition of [Taiwan]," Chong Gum said.
Marshall Islands Speaker Litokwa Tomeing has defended the trip, saying the legislators were simply responding to an invitation from China's National People's Congress.
Commentators say the competition between Taiwan and China for diplomatic recognition has a destabilizing effect on small Pacific states.
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 US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative.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
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner