President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday defended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ handling of his current Central America trip in the wake of the political upheaval in Honduras.
“Both the foreign ministry and national security agencies grasped the overall situation quickly and presented a backup plan after the situation worsened in Honduras,” Ma told reporters on his San Francisco-bound plane on his way to Panama.
Ma’s comments came after opposition lawmakers said the ministry should take responsibility for failing to provide Ma with up-to-date information about the political situation in Honduras and the ouster of Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, who has been exiled in Costa Rica.
Ma and first lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) were scheduled to spend two days in Honduras during the trip, which is centered on the inauguration of Panamanian president-elect Ricardo Martinelli today. The Presidential Office announced the Honduran visit was canceled just hours before the presidential delegation left Taipei on Monday.
Ma said ties with Honduras would not be affected by the coup, and he would arrange to visit the country after it elects a new president in January.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) honorary chairman William Brown welcomed Ma and Chow at San Francisco airport on their arrival on Monday. The first couple later attended a private dinner party hosted by overseas Taiwanese groups.
A group of overseas Taiwanese waved national flags in front of the hotel to welcome Ma, while another group of overseas Taiwanese protested his visit.
Ma said he has visited seven allies since taking office last year to strengthen relations, including his Central American trip last month.
“What strengthened our relationships with allies was not checkbooks, but flexible diplomacy and practical measures,” he said.
Ma complemented Chow for receiving more coverage during last month’s trip, adding: “I should be grateful my wife can accompany me, and I should not complain or be jealous.”
While in Panama, Ma will hold talks with Martinelli on the development of bilateral relations, Ambassador Simon Ko (柯森耀) told the Central News Agency on Monday. Ko said Ma was to attend a state banquet hosted by outgoing Panamanian President Martin Torrijos last night and another one today.
Ma was scheduled to address the Panamanian parliament tomorrow, Ko said.
Ma will make a transit stop in Hawaii on his way back to Taiwan on Monday.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS