The US encourages Guyana and Taiwan to advance their partnership and more countries to expand “unofficial ties” with Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday.
The statement came after Guyana reneged on an agreement made with Taiwan on Jan. 11 to establish a Taiwan office in the South American country, citing its adherence to the “one China” policy and “miscommunication” over the signed agreement.
The AIT had applauded the agreement, but was silent after the deal’s termination, until yesterday.
“The United States encourages Guyana and Taiwan to continue building on their strong partnership. Our support for Taiwan is rock solid,” AIT spokeswoman Amanda Mansour said in the statement.
“Taiwan is a friend that benefits the world through partnerships that advance security, democratic values and prosperity based on mutual respect and transparency. We encourage more countries to deepen unofficial ties with Taiwan,” she said.
“Taiwan is a leading democracy, a vibrant economic partner, a technology powerhouse and a shining example of how an open society can effectively contain COVID-19. The United States looks forward to working closely with Taiwan in the region to strengthen democracy and economic growth,” she said.
The US embassy in Guyana has not commented since it applauded the agreement to have a Taiwan office in Guyana.
Before terminating the deal, the Guyanese government issued a statement saying that China had earmarked 20,000 vaccines for Guyana, along with a photograph showing Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd meeting with Chinese Charge d’Affaires to Guyana Chen Xilai (陳錫來).
“China has made significant contributions to Guyana’s development since the establishment of diplomatic relations on June 27, 1972. This is evident from several programs, including the attachment of Chinese doctors to the nation’s hospitals as well as the implementation of a number of major infrastructural projects,” the statement read.
“This donation [of vaccines] is another tangible demonstration of the importance of the bilateral relationship between Guyana and China,” it read.
After the deal was terminated, Todd told The Associated Press on Friday that the government had initially not seen anything wrong in allowing Taiwan to set up an office to push trade and investment in Guyana, which has in the past 14 months become one of the world’s newest nations to export oil.
“For us this was just a market opportunity for the two private sectors to conduct business, but there are some geopolitics involved here,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
Additional reporting by AP
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source