The central government yesterday expressed its deep regret and discontent with the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) rejection of its bid to attend the organization’s upcoming general assembly.
Asked if Beijing was behind Interpol’s decision, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said “that is a very obvious factor.”
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) last night urged China to acknowledge the Republic of China’s existence and stop hurting the well-being of Taiwanese by obstructing Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
Photo: CNA
The government will continue to work closely with the US and other like-minded nations to promote Taiwan’s participation in Interpol, in the hope that Taiwan can be included in the global network for public security protection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Taiwan was forced to withdraw from Interpol in 1984 when China joined the organization.
For the first time in 32 years, the government last month applied to participate as an observer at Interpol’s 85th general assembly, which runs from tomorrow to Friday in Bali, Indonesia.
Interpol president Mireille Ballestrazzi and secretary-general Jurgen Stock separately wrote to Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Liu Po-liang (劉柏良) stating the organization’s decision to turn down Taiwan’s application, the ministry said.
The ministry said that Taiwan’s bid to participate in the assembly does not involve politics, but is intended to facilitate cooperation with the police forces of other nations and contribute to global efforts against organized crime, cybercrime, cross-border crime and terrorism.
With cross-border crime becoming a serious problem amid globalization, having no access to Interpol information is posing a challenge to Taiwan’s crime-fighting operations, the ministry said, urging Interpol to deal with Taiwan’s case positively and pragmatically based on the need to maintain global security.
Considering the need to maintain security during next year’s Universiade in Taipei, the ministry has also requested that Interpol allow Taiwan to access its I-24/7 global police communications system and the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it appreciated the US’ support for Taiwan’s participation in the assembly.
Both the US Senate and House of Representatives in March passed legislation requiring the US secretary of state to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in Interpol. The bill was then signed into law by US President Barack Obama.
Separately yesterday, the Mainland Affairs Council urged China to stop obstructing Taiwan’s efforts to particiate in international organizations.
Taiwan and China should treat each other in a friendly way and seek to resolve differences of opinion through bilateral dialogue in the interests and well-being of their people, the council said.
A survey conducted by the council last month revealed that 80 percent of Taiwanese believe Taiwan’s bids to take part in international organizations should not be subject to political interference, the council said, urging Beijing and the international community not to ignore public opinion in Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Su Fang-ho
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
URBAN COMBAT: FIM-92 Stinger shoulder-fired missiles from the US made a rare public appearance during early-morning drills simulating an invasion of the Taipei MRT The ongoing Han Kuang military exercises entered their sixth day yesterday, simulating repelling enemy landings in Penghu County, setting up fortifications in Tainan, laying mines in waters in Kaohsiung and conducting urban combat drills in Taipei. At 5am in Penghu — part of the exercise’s first combat zone — participating units responded to a simulated rapid enemy landing on beaches, combining infantry as well as armored personnel. First Combat Zone Commander Chen Chun-yuan (陳俊源) led the combined armed troops utilizing a variety of weapons systems. Wang Keng-sheng (王鏗勝), the commander in charge of the Penghu Defense Command’s mechanized battalion, said he would give
‘REALISTIC’ APPROACH: The ministry said all the exercises were scenario-based and unscripted to better prepare personnel for real threats and unexpected developments The army’s 21st Artillery Command conducted a short-range air defense drill in Taoyuan yesterday as part of the Han Kuang exercises, using the indigenous Sky Sword II (陸射劍二) missile system for the first time in the exercises. The armed forces have been conducting a series of live-fire and defense drills across multiple regions, simulating responses to a full-scale assault by Chinese forces, the Ministry of National Defense said. The Sky Sword II missile system was rapidly deployed and combat-ready within 15 minutes to defend Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in a simulated attack, the ministry said. A three-person crew completed setup and