Beijing raised objections on Saturday to a move by the European Parliament to build closer trade ties with Taiwan, saying it opposes the development of any official ties between the sides.
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a resolution on EU-Taiwan trade relations, urging its executive body to begin bilateral talks over an agreement on investment protection and market access.
The Chinese government has long insisted that Taiwan is part of its domestic affairs and should be free from any foreign interference.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) on Saturday said Beijing does not object to non-governmental contact between the EU and Taiwan, but that it opposes the development of any official ties.
“We hope that the EU side could bear in mind the overall interests of China-EU relations, earnestly honor its commitment to the ‘one China’ principle, deal with Taiwan-related issues with prudence and refrain from having any official contact of signing any official agreement with Taiwan,” Hua said.
The EU is Taiwan’s fourth-largest trade partner, while Taiwan is the EU’s seventh-largest trade partner in Asia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that the Taiwanese government “welcomes” the resolution and is “grateful” to the European Parliament.
Taiwan hopes that an investment agreement would pave the way for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement in the future, the ministry added.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
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