Staff Writer, with CNA
Nicaraguan Ambassador to Taiwan William Tapia said yesterday that his country would continue to be Taipei’s staunchest supporter in its bid to participate in the UN, an issue that Taiwanese authorities hope will be put on the agenda of the UN General Assembly today.
“The atmosphere is different this year and Nicaragua has been very supportive of Taiwan’s UN bid,” Tapia said at a function celebrating the 187th anniversary of the independence of Central America.
Honduran Ambassador Marlene Villela-Talbott, Guatemalan Ambassador Ivan Espinoza Farfan and Salvadoran Ambassador Francisco Ricardo Santana Berrios also attended the event.
MODERATE
Tapia was referring to Taiwan’s more moderate bid this year for UN participation under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) diplomatic strategy of “modus vivendi” centering on a “diplomatic truce” with China.
By asking the UN General Assembly to consider the feasibility of Taiwan’s participation in UN specialized agencies rather then seeking full membership, the bid marks a new approach by making no attempt to seek entry to the UN under the name “Taiwan” or returning to the UN under the name Republic of China (ROC).
Tapia, who assumed the post as Nicaraguan ambassador in January, said that the situation this year was also different because three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — Nicaragua, the Solomon Islands and Honduras — are members of the UN General Affairs Committee, the highest number of Taiwanese allies that have been on the committee since 1993.
CHINA
However, he admitted that China still plays a key role in the issue, saying “it all depends on China.”
Commenting on Taiwan’s UN bid, a senior diplomatic official told the Central News Agency earlier yesterday that even though Ma’s proposal was clearly different from past strategy, some countries would still look at the issue based on China’s attitude.
Taiwan has not been a member of the UN since 1971, when the People’s Republic of China took the China seat from the ROC. Over the past 15 years, Taiwan has failed to get the UN General Assembly to list the issue of Taiwan’s membership on the UN agenda because of Beijing’s opposition.
The General Affairs Committee, comprising delegates from 28 nations, will make a decision tomorrow pertaining to the agenda for the next General Assembly.
Asked whether Nicaragua is concerned about improved relations between Taiwan and China under Ma’s “diplomatic truce” approach, Tapia said the Nicaraguan government found Ma’s approach to be “very good” and he expressed confidence in the solid bilateral relations between Nicaragua and Taiwan.
In a meeting during Ma’s recent state visit to South America and the Caribbean, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya asked Ma how Taiwan’s allies should react to improving relations between Taiwan and China.
Ma reiterated his idea of a “diplomatic truce” with Beijing, but vowed that nothing would change Taiwan’s longstanding friendships with its allies. He said Taiwan would use all its energy and resources to consolidate relations with its allies.
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
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
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