Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson James Chang (章計平) has been tapped to replace Tom Chou (周台竹) as ambassador to Saint Lucia amid concern over the bilateral relationship since a transition of power in the Caribbean nation.
Saint Lucia has repeatedly demanded that Taipei recall Chou after the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) regained power in November last year, accusing Chou of interfering in the electoral process in favor of the United Workers Party (UWP), an allegation that the ministry has denied.
Chou has been stationed in Saint Lucia since 2007, putting a transfer in line with rules governing rotation of positions, partially based on length of service.
A career diplomat of nearly 30 years, Chang has previously served in the UK, the US and the Philippines and has served as ministry spokesperson since 2010.
In other personnel news, the ministry appointed Department of International Organizations Director-General Lily Hsu (徐儷文) to be the nation’s representative to Denmark and Department of West Asian Affairs Director-General Lin Jinn-jong (林進忠) will become the representative to Saudi Arabia.
Hsu will be succeeded by Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵), who currently serves in the representative office in Geneva, Switzerland.
Hsueh Mei-yu (薛美瑜), a section chief at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, has been selected to serve as representative to the Czech Republic.
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
‘ANGRY’: Forgetting the humiliations and sacrifices of ‘the people of the Republic of China’ experienced disqualified Lai from being president, Ma Ying-jeou said Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized President William Lai (賴清德) over what he called “phrasing that downplayed Japan’s atrocities” against China during World War II. Ma made the remarks in a post on Facebook on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Ma said he was “angry and disappointed” that Lai described the anniversary as the end of World War II instead of a “victory in the war of resistance” — a reference to the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The eight-year war was a part of World War II, in which Japan and the other Axis
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