CROSS-STRAIT
No joint centenary: Sheng
Taiwan yesterday ruled out joining China in celebrating the upcoming centenary of the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC), an event hailed as an historical milestone by both Taipei and Beijing. “Given the differences between the two sides, it would be unlikely for us to host joint celebrations,” Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) said in English to a group of foreign reporters in Taipei. Taiwan is gearing up for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the ROC, which was on Jan. 1, 1912, after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Sheng said the differences in political systems in China and Taiwan would make joint celebrations impossible.
DIPLOMACY
Global inclusion sought
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday solicited the support of allies in Taiwan’s bids for participation in UN activities. Taiwan hopes to take part in events hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and in meetings on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ma said. He addressed Taiwan’s bids for access to the two world bodies during a meeting at the Presidential Office with visiting UN representatives of Palau, Tuvalu, Belize and El Salvador. Those nations are among the 23 countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Speaking of the ICAO bid, Ma said Taiwan has among the busiest air traffic in East Asia and should have closer contacts with the civil aviation regulatory body, as such links would facilitate the development of the industry and its efforts to promote air safety. In terms of the UNFCCC, Ma said that in the face of extreme weather trends that have made Taiwan more vulnerable to natural disasters, the country would very much like to have UNFCCC links.
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
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