Visiting Marshall Islands President David Kabua yesterday reaffirmed his country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, while calling for the country to be given its “rightful place” in the international arena.
Kabua, on his first overseas engagement since assuming office in January 2020, spoke at a welcoming ceremony in Taipei hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and featuring a military salute.
Kabua said he had come to “fill with confidence that the unique alliance between our two countries continues to prosper and flourish.”
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Praising Taiwan as a “shining example of a vibrant and peaceful progressive nation,” Kabua called on the world to recognize the nation on the world stage.
“It is time for Taiwan to take its rightful place as an equal member of the family of nations,” he said.
Kabua also reaffirmed that diplomatic ties between the Marshall Islands and Taiwan are robust, saying that his country is “strongly committed to further strengthen the bonds between our two countries.”
Tsai welcomed Kabua’s state visit, saying that he is the first head of state among Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“The international landscape has shifted radically since 1998 when two countries [Taiwan and the Marshall Islands] established diplomatic relations. To this day, our two nations have always supported each other in overcoming various challenges and deepening our relations,” she said.
Tsai said that she expects to see closer relations and enhanced exchanges between the two allies.
At a follow-up ceremony, Tsai awarded Kabua the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon for enhancing ties between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands.
Instituted in 1933, the order is the highest honor presented by Taiwan and can only be awarded to a head of state.
Tsai said that she has made two visits to the Marshall Islands since becoming president in May 2016.
She thanked Kabua for his “unwavering support for Taiwan.”
Kabua spoke of last year’s session of the UN General Assembly, at which he criticized the body’s “shameful silence” over its ongoing exclusion of Taiwan.
“I firmly believe that Taiwan’s 23.6 million people deserve to participate in regional and international forums, including specialized agencies under the UN,” he said.
At a closed-door meeting with Kabua at the Presidential Office yesterday, Tsai said that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands would set up a joint fund to tackle some climate change issues, the office said in a statement.
The fund would help to enhance cooperation in such areas as green energy infrastructure, natural disaster prevention and the cultivation of talent, Tsai was quoted as saying.
The Marshall Islands delegation arrived in Taiwan on Monday afternoon.
Before leaving on Friday, Kabua is to attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and preside over a ceremony to renew a bilateral agreement on agricultural technical cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Other members of the Marshall Islands delegation include Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Casten Nemra and Senator Joe Bejang, the ministry said.
Kabua — the son of Amata Kabua, the first president of the Marshall Islands — also served as minister of health and internal affairs.
The Marshall Islands is one of Taiwan’s 14 diplomatic allies. The two countries have maintained official diplomatic ties since 1998.
MILESTONE: The foreign minister called the signing ‘a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations,’ while the Presidential Office said it was a symbol of the nations’ shared values US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the state department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct a review “not less than every five years.” It must then submit an updated report based on its findings “not later
The Presidential Office today thanked the US for enacting the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law, signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday, is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct such a review "not less than every five years." It must then submit an updated
STAYING ALERT: China this week deployed its largest maritime show of force to date in the region, prompting concern in Taipei and Tokyo, which Beijing has brushed off Deterring conflict over Taiwan is a priority, the White House said in its National Security Strategy published yesterday, which also called on Japan and South Korea to increase their defense spending to help protect the first island chain. Taiwan is strategically positioned between Northeast and Southeast Asia, and provides direct access to the second island chain, with one-third of global shipping passing through the South China Sea, the report said. Given the implications for the US economy, along with Taiwan’s dominance in semiconductors, “deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” it said. However, the strategy also reiterated
Taiwanese prosecutors charged Tokyo Electron Ltd for failing to prevent staff from allegedly stealing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) trade secrets, escalating a dispute involving two Asian linchpins of a chip industry increasingly vital to national and economic security. Prosecutors indicted the Japanese company on four counts of contravening the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法) and the National Security Act (國家安全法), they said in a statement yesterday. They’re asking a local court to rule in favor of their request for Tokyo Electron pay a fine of up to NT$120 million (US$3.8 million) for failing in its duty to prevent the alleged
RSS