Taiwan's top representative to the US said on Sunday that Taiwanese expressing their desire for UN membership is a peaceful and rational move and that it should never be considered "provocative."
Speaking during a press conference with Taiwanese media representatives, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Taiwan is the only nation in the world barred from the UN, adding that for decades Taiwan has not obtained any substantive assistance from the international community.
Against this backdrop, Wu said, Taiwanese must speak in a loud voice about their plight to prevent the nation from becoming completely isolated.
Wu made the remarks in response to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's reference on Friday to Taiwan's planned referendum on whether the country should apply to join the UN under the name "Taiwan" as a "provocative policy."
Wu said that it was Beijing that has been "provocative," adding that it has continued to add to the number of ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan and sought to isolate Taipei diplomatically by attempting to downgrade Taiwan's designation in international organizations.
Moreover, Beijing unilaterally included Taiwanese ports recently as certified Chinese ports on the International Health Regulation-certified port list of the WHO Web site, he said.
China also intends to inaugurate next month a new flight route 4.2 nautical miles (7.8km) west of the centerline dividing the Taiwan Strait, which could pose a severe threat to cross-strait stability and international flight safety.
Wu said Taiwan and the US share many common values and have maintained close and cordial relations on trade, culture and security, which constitute the bedrock of the solid relationship between the two countries.
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) has been investigating nine shell companies working with Prince Holding Group, and the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is seeking further prosecution of alleged criminals, a source said yesterday. The nine companies and three Taiwanese nationals were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Oct. 14 as Specially Designated Nationals as a result of a US federal court indictment. Prince Holding founder Chen Zhi (陳志) has been charged with fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding’s suspected forced-labor camps in Cambodia, the indictment says. Intelligence shared between Taiwan,
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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