The friendship between St. Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan remains strong and unwavering, the Caribbean nation's foreign minister Timothy Harris said yesterday in an interview with the Taipei Times.
Harris is in Taipei to attend the grand opening of his nation's embassy today, 25 years after diplomatic ties with Taipei were forged in 1984.
The embassy, which he described as a "historic milestone," will be the first St. Kitts and Nevis has opened in Asia. It is also the first embassy to be set up in Taipei by one of Taiwan's six Caribbean allies.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Harris noted that over the past two-and-a-half decades, Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis, has been an outspoken advocate for Taiwan's bids to enter various international organizations, such as the WHO and the UN.
At the UN last September, Harris told the General Assembly that "it is a grave concern that 23 million people of Taiwan have been denied the right of participation in the UN and its related bodies."
The minister, who publicly supported Taiwan's UN bid using the name "Taiwan" last year, said regardless of the result of Taiwan's upcoming UN referendums, his government would fully back the will of the Taiwanese people.
Harris confirmed that Beijing has never relented in its effort to lure Taiwan's diplomatic allies, but assured Taiwanese that their nation has many good friends who are promoting Taiwan in the Caribbean.
Taiwan's other Caribbean allies are Belize, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Lucia and St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
When asked about his views on the alleged shaky ties between Taiwan and St. Lucia, the minister said that, although he was not authorized to speak on behalf of another nation, he believed relations were "very strong" and that the St. Lucian government was deeply committed to its alliance with Taipei.
Harris also encouraged more Taiwanese businessmen to invest in St. Kitts and Nevis, especially in the tourism industry. He said foreign investors can enjoy a certain level of tax breaks depending on the size of their investment.
Taiwanese tourists were also welcome to visit the tropical nation for leisure, he said. Taiwanese passport holders do not need a visa to travel to St. Kitts and Nevis.
He also called for more Kittitian students to study in Taiwan and take advantage of the quality education available here.
These students, he said, would then become Taiwan's best ambassadors upon graduation, when they go home or venture off to other parts of the world.
The embassy's opening will take place this afternoon in Tienmu. Kittitian Prime Minister Denzil Douglas and Foreign Minister James Huang (黃志芳) are expected to speak at the engagement.
Douglas will be accompanied by several other St. Kitts and Nevis officials, including Charge d'Affaires Jasmine Huggins and Minister of Agriculture Cedric Roy Liburd, who will sign a technical cooperation memorandum of understanding with Huang.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man