The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday thanked Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr for voicing his nation’s support for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan, despite pressure from China.
“If you want to have relations with Palau, you’re welcome, but you cannot tell us that we cannot have relations with Taiwan,” Whipps told Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum after saying that his nation has been “under a lot of pressure” from Beijing.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing in Taipei that Taiwan sincerely thanks Whipps for his unwavering support of the country in the face of pressure from China and that the ministry would continue to enhance bilateral ties with the Pacific state.
Photo: AFP
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Palau in 1999, the two countries have conducted numerous mutually beneficial exchanges in agriculture, fisheries, education and infrastructure, she said.
“Taiwan and Palau will go into the future hand-in-hand as we deepen bilateral ties across all domains,” she said.
Taipei is committed to facilitating the long-term development of its diplomatic allies, and has established initiatives to boost the agricultural and medical capabilities of the member states of the Pacific Islands Forum, she said.
Taiwan would continue to assist Pacific island countries with aid programs targeting educational scholarships, humanitarian issues, human capital development and climate change, she said.
China continues to expand its sphere of influence in the Pacific at the expense of the national sovereignty of others, Ou said, citing the inking of a Sino-Solomons security framework in April and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) tour of the region the following month.
Wang’s trip was intended to promote the China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision and its five-year economic plan for the region, she said.
Additionally, the ministry is aware that Beijing exerted pressure on Tuvalu and Fiji to stop Taiwan from taking part in this year’s UN Ocean Conference, she said.
China’s meddling would achieve nothing and only alienate it from countries in the region, she said.
Asked about US Vice President Kamala Harris’ pledge on Tuesday that Washington would boost relations with and assistance for the Pacific islands, Ou said the ministry lauds the US government’s emphasis on bolstering the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
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