Swedish Member of Parliament Hampus Hagman is pushing for changing the name of the nation’s trade office in Taipei to signal improved relations with “Asia’s perhaps foremost democracy.”
Hagman on Wednesday last week proposed renaming the Swedish Trade and Invest Council to “Sweden’s Office in Taipei,” following similar changes by other nations.
The Swedish Trade and Invest Council, part of Business Sweden, is owned by the Swedish government and Swedish industry.
Taiwan and Sweden share important values such as respect for democracy, human rights, the rule of law and freedom of speech, Hagman said in the motion, adding that the two nations already have strong academic and trade ties, but there is potential to deepen the relationship.
Business Sweden acts as an economic representative, but as it has expanded to provide consular services, there is reason to make it an official office, he said.
Sweden’s Statement of Foreign Policy for this year said it intended to “defend and promote democracy around the world” and “build alliances with like-minded countries and organizations that want to help strengthen democracy,” he said.
The statement emphasizes the need to support efforts to ensure open societies, freedom of the press and LGBT rights, all of which support his proposal to strengthen ties with Taiwan, he said.
There are also economic reasons for strengthening ties, as Taiwan has a large high-tech industry, he added.
It is not the first time that Hagman has spoken up for Taiwan.
In a February hearing with the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, he voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHO based on the nation’s contributions to the fight against COVID-19.
The UK, Australia, Japan, Poland and the Netherlands have all made similar name changes in the past decade.
In May 2012, the Australian Commerce and Industry Office changed its name to the Australian Office Taipei, followed by the UK in May 2015, when it changed the name of its office from the British Trade and Cultural Office to the British Office Taipei.
In January 2017, Japan renamed its Interchange Association to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.
Poland quickly followed, in June 2018 changing the name of its office from the Warsaw Trade Office to the Polish Office in Taipei.
Most recently, the Netherlands in April renamed its office from the Netherlands Trade and Investment Office to the Netherlands Office Taipei.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS