Five more diplomatic allies on Saturday spoke up at the UN General Assembly in support of Taiwan’s inclusion: Eswatini, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu.
Twelve of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies that are UN members have so far spoken out on behalf of the nation at the General Assembly — tying last year’s number.
In a pre-recorded address, Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre said that his country was calling for Taiwan to be accepted as a “legitimate participant” in the global decisionmaking process.
Photo: AFP
Eswatini Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini said that excluding Taiwan from the UN and discriminating against its citizens in a system meant to serve all of the world’s citizens is a “gross violation of the unshakeable principles of the UN Charter.”
The African kingdom urged the UN to allow Taiwan to participate in the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“With this inclusion of Taiwan, it is our hope that the UN will be living up to its objectives and equally serving the interests of all its member states,” he said.
He praised Taiwan for the medical assistance it has given Eswatini during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Calling Taiwan an “indispensable partner,” Dlamini said that the nation would play a meaningful role in the global body if given the opportunity.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said in his address that allowing Taiwan to participate in international multilateral organizations — collaborating on issues such as healthcare, climate change, civil aviation and crime — would benefit the world.
“Taiwan is a relatively small, but legitimate, political expression of the magnificent Chinese civilization. It has been an impressive economic miracle; it is a thriving democracy and it has a right to ask for meaningful inclusion in the relevant global institutions,” he said.
“New times demand fresh solutions, not old-fashioned hegemonic responses,” Gonsalves added.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry called on all member states to consider including Taiwan in the UN system.
Taiwan wants to play — and can play — a significant role in UN initiatives, to promote peace, security and cooperation around the globe, he added.
Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano called for the UN to recognize that Taiwanese have a right to access UN premises.
It is “most regrettable” to see the ongoing injustice of Taiwanese being barred from visiting or having meetings on UN premises simply because the UN fails to recognize their passport, Natano said.
“Granting Taiwanese passport holders access to UN premises is an essential step for the meaningful participation of Taiwan and the Taiwanese people in the UN system,” he added.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin was the only representative of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies who did not mention the nation in his address at the General Assembly on Saturday.
The Holy See — Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Europe — is a UN observer, not a member, and rarely speaks on political issues at UN meetings.
Nicaragua — an ally in Central America — is expected to speak today, the last day of the General Debate.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
RSS