Taiwan should give up the Republic of China’s (ROC) conventional foreign policy framework that seeks to compete with Beijing for the “representation of China,” and should not concern itself with the number of diplomatic allies it has under that framework, former premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
“Taiwan’s diplomatic allies will show up when the ROC’s diplomatic allies have decreased in number. Only [Chinese President] Xi Jinping (習近平) should worry about the ROC’s diplomatic allies; we do not need to be troubled,” Yu said in response to Panama yesterday announcing that it was switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
Yu on Facebook yesterday reposted an opinion piece he wrote late last year when Saint Tome and Principe severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
According to the opinion piece, then-US president-elect Donald Trump’s verbal recognition of Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as the president of Taiwan changed the situation for the nation, and the government should respond with a new diplomatic strategy.
Taiwan should dedicate amounts of money to international aid that are in accordance with UN policy and not waste its attention on maintaining a certain number of ROC diplomatic partners, he said.
The idea that the ROC’s sovereignty extends to “mainland” areas and that the ROC is in competition with the People’s Republic of China over the right to represent “China” should be abandoned, he said.
International politics is controlled by the hegemonic powers, and Taiwan should base its diplomacy on survival by dedicating its resources to cultivating ties with the US, Japan and the EU, he said.
Taiwan’s survival in the international arena should be the supreme directive of the nation’s diplomacy, Yu said, adding that Taiwan should pursue opportunities to participate in international organizations under the name “Taiwan” and encourage other states to recognize the nation without demanding that they to derecognize Beijing.
The strategy of encouraging recognition of Taiwan and China might serve as a deterrent to China undermining the ROC’s diplomatic partners, because such actions could lead to the recognition of Taiwan as a state, Yu said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
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The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
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