Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) president Mark Kao (高龍榮) has called on the US government to protest China’s attempts to restrict Taiwan’s international space.
“Taiwan should be a full and equal member in the international family of nations,” Kao said.
In a statement issued on Friday, FAPA said that promises of a “rapprochement” across the Taiwan Strait were leading to diminished international space for Taiwan.
FAPA, a Washington-based Taiwanese-American advocacy organization, issued the statement to express concern about two recent events “showing that China is still attempting to deny Taiwan international space.”
The two events were the Beijing administration’s reaction to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) trip to Rome to attend the inauguration of Pope Francis and the decision by the Indonesian government in Jakarta to deny a delegation from Taiwan access to an international defense conference after objections from China.
Beijing has urged the Vatican to dissolve ties with Taiwan and it pushed Indonesian authorities to withdraw an invitation to a Taiwanese delegation to the Jakarta International Defense Dialogue.
“China’s continued efforts to undermine Taiwan’s presence at such international events do clearly show that Ma’s diplomatic truce is not working,” Kao said.
“China’s moves are also in clear contradiction to stated US policy, which says that the US supports meaningful participation by Taiwan in international organizations,” he said. “We call on the US government to protest China’s attempts to restrict Taiwan’s international space.”
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS