The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday vowed to continue providing assistance to support the development of Palau, which has been under increasing pressure from China to switch diplomatic recognition.
Beijing has been attempting to coerce Palau into shifting diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China by suppressing the Pacific island nation’s tourism industry, Indian newspaper the Sunday Guardian reported on Sunday.
Beijing built up Palau’s dependence on Chinese tourism and then “pulled the plug, making it clear that, unless Palau switched from Taiwan to China, the tourists wouldn’t come back,” it reported.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Palau did not bow to pressure from Beijing, but has faced challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected its service industry and China is taking measures “perhaps in preparation to gain influence before next year’s elections,” the report said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr told the paper that his country needs more direct flights, an extension of its runway and investment from countries in the region other than China to combat Chinese influence in his country.
“Taiwan empathizes with it [Palau’s plight] and will continue to provide concrete assistance to Palau. At the same time, Taiwan will also cooperate with like-minded countries to support Palau’s national construction and development,” the ministry said in a press release yesterday.
Taiwan will discuss with the US and other partners about possible cooperation to help Palau extend the runway, the ministry said.
Taiwan has been supporting Palau’s tourism and is actively helping the island state to revitalize its tourism industry in the post-pandemic era, it said.
Taiwan and Palau cohosted the first Belau Omal Marathon in Palau earlier this month, which drew about 600 runners from around the world.
During a state visit to Taiwan in October last year, Whipps told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) that he hoped Palau and Taiwan could continue to bolster cooperation in tourism and other fields, the ministry said.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) led a delegation to Palau the following month to help market Palau’s tourism and announced that China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) would resume direct flights to the nation twice a week, it said.
However, Whipps told the Sunday Guardian that he hoped the number of flights could be increased.
“Right now, there are two flights a week from Taiwan, they are full. They can’t increase,” he said.
The ministry said that it “severely condemns China for using false promises of foreign aid and interfering in elections to lure Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.”
Whipps has repeatedly and openly supported Taiwan in the international arena, including supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and affirming the friendship between the two countries in interviews with Nikkei Asia and Australian Broadcasting Corp, the ministry said.
Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded countries to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity, it said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS