The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday unveiled three countermeasures should Beijing further step up its poaching of the nation’s diplomatic allies as it fights a protracted trade war with Washington.
Speaking at a weekly news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei, Department of North American Affairs Remus Chen (陳立國) said that the US-China trade war has become more complicated and confrontational, with neither side showing a willingness to engage in further negotiations.
The government has set three measures to mitigate the impact of a potential economic and political fallout from the trade war, Chen said.
First, Taiwan is to engage in “value-based” diplomacy with its diplomatic allies, as well as the US, Japan and other like-minded nations, as an escalating trade war could drive China to adopt an increasingly heavy-handed approach to wooing the nation’s diplomatic allies and limit its international space, he said.
The government would redouble its efforts to deepen ties with its allies while striving to enlist the support of like-minded nations to boost Taiwan’s international participation, he said.
Second, the government would continue its efforts to gain membership in the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and take advantage of existing trade frameworks, including the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement it has with the US and the SelectUSA Investment Summit, he said.
These measures are aimed at lessening the negative impact of the trade war, which Taiwanese businesses — as an integral part of the global supply chain — cannot avoid, he said.
Third, the nation would continue to work with the US in its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy, in which Washington has repeatedly acknowledged that Taiwan has a critical role, he said.
The FOIP and the government’s New Southbound Policy share similarities, are mutually advantageous for Taiwan and the US, and complement each other well, he said.
The government would continue to demonstrate that it is willing and able to participate in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, to cement the Taiwan-US partnership and explore possibilities of cooperation in the Pacific region with like-minded nations, he said.
Quoting Premier William Lai (賴清德), Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said that there have been signs suggesting the possibility of a protracted trade war.
The Cabinet would follow instructions given by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in her Double Ten National Day speech to pursue a path of “stability, adaptiveness and advancements” in its efforts to bolster the economy and ensure national security, Kolas quoted the premier as saying.
The government encourages local businesses operating in China to move their investment and operations back home or to nations targeted by the New Southbound Policy to avoid being affected by the trade war, and would continue to address the “five shortages” of water, electricity, land, talent and labor, the premier said.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all