Sixteen diplomatic allies spoke out for the Republic of China (ROC) at the annual debate of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, which concluded on Tuesday, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Heads of state, high-ranking government officials and representatives from the 16 allies spoke out in support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and recognized the contributions the nation has made, Catherine Hsu (徐詠梅), deputy head of the ministry’s Department of International Organizations, told a press briefing.
Hsu said the diplomatic allies called for more opportunities for meaningful ROC participation in UN specialist organizations amid improving relations across the Taiwan Strait.
They also expressed appreciation for Taiwan’s contributions to helping its allies achieve Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and encouraged positive interaction between the two sides of the Strait in international organizations.
Hsu expressed gratitude to the allies for their support.
The theme of this year’s UN General Assembly session was “The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage.”
In line with the theme, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-New York), in conjunction with the Academic Council on the UN System, will hold a seminar on Friday next week titled “Health in the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda.”
During the seminar, TECO-New York is scheduled to give a briefing on Taiwan’s experience and achievements in pursuing international cooperation and expanding its participation in UN-related organizations and activities.
Asked whether the ministry had issued a response after Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Santos Lopez sparked concern in some circles in Taipei by referring to Taiwan as “China-Taiwan” in a statement to the 68th UN General Assembly on Monday, Hsu said that to the nation’s diplomatic allies, “China” stands for “the Republic of China,” not “the People’s Republic of China.”
There is no need to misinterpret the implications of the words, Hsu said, adding that the ministry is grateful to Nicaragua for speaking up for Taiwan during the assembly.
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
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
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
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