Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said yesterday that relations with Panama remained stable, amid speculation that Panama would follow Malawi and recognize China.
"It seems the relationship with Panama is good," Huang said.
Panama, which has close business relations with China, has long been rumored to be considering the switch. Last month, Huang traveled to Panama, the Dominican Republic and Haiti to strengthen diplomatic ties.
PHOTO: AFP
The Panamanian government said that bilateral relations remained solid while business relations with China would remain normal.
Huang, who is traveling with President Chen Shui-bian (
During an interview with the Associated Press in Guatemala, Chen said he did not oppose Taiwanese allies establishing trade offices in China.
Chen said he was confident Taiwan's 23 remaining diplomatic allies would not switch recognition to China and that diplomatic relations would not be affected if they opened trade offices in Beijing while maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
"You don't need an embassy to do business in China," he said. "All you need is a trade office."
In Taipei, Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu said she was not targeting any particular individual, but that it would make sense for somebody to be held responsible.
Lu made the remarks during an interview with TVBS on Monday night.
Taiwan has lost three diplomatic allies -- Chad, Costa Rica and Malawi -- during Huang's term.
Meanwhile, Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (
He said he decided against it, however, because he did not want his resignation to attract media attention and that the matter would "clear itself up" after he returned from the trip.
During an interview with Sanlih Television on Sunday night, Lu said it would be a good idea to adjust the Cabinet lineup and replace some "controversial" officials, without naming names.
Some media outlets have speculated that Lu was referring to Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝), the ministry's secretary-general, Chuang Kuo-jung (莊國榮) as well as Minister Shieh.
Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) said on Monday that Tu and Shieh should be held partly responsible for the election defeat.
The paramount chief of a volcanic island in Vanuatu yesterday said that he was “very impressed” by a UN court’s declaration that countries must tackle climate change. Vanuatu spearheaded the legal case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, which on Wednesday ruled that countries have a duty to protect against the threat of a warming planet. “I’m very impressed,” George Bumseng, the top chief of the Pacific archipelago’s island of Ambrym, told reporters in the capital, Port Vila. “We have been waiting for this decision for a long time because we have been victims of this climate change for
Rainfall is expected to become more widespread and persistent across central and southern Taiwan over the next few days, with the effects of the weather patterns becoming most prominent between last night and tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said that based on the latest forecast models of the combination of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, rainfall and flooding are expected to continue in central and southern Taiwan from today to Sunday. The CWA also warned of flash floods, thunder and lightning, and strong gusts in these areas, as well as landslides and fallen
MASSIVE LOSS: If the next recall votes also fail, it would signal that the administration of President William Lai would continue to face strong resistance within the legislature The results of recall votes yesterday dealt a blow to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) efforts to overturn the opposition-controlled legislature, as all 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers survived the recall bids. Backed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) DPP, civic groups led the recall drive, seeking to remove 31 out of 39 KMT lawmakers from the 113-seat legislature, in which the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together hold a majority with 62 seats, while the DPP holds 51 seats. The scale of the recall elections was unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on Aug. 23. For a
All 24 lawmakers of the main opposition Chinese Nationalists Party (KMT) on Saturday survived historical nationwide recall elections, ensuring that the KMT along with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers will maintain opposition control of the legislature. Recall votes against all 24 KMT lawmakers as well as Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) and KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) failed to pass, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) figures. In only six of the 24 recall votes did the ballots cast in favor of the recall even meet the threshold of 25 percent of eligible voters needed for the recall to pass,
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