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.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
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