Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Belize on Saturday called for Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations during the UN General Debate in New York, bringing the number of countries supporting Taipei to 11, the same as last year.
“It is long overdue for the Republic of China (Taiwan) to be brought in from the diplomatic cold,” Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said in his address during the 78th UN General Assembly.
Chinese civilization “has delivered to the contemporary world, in practical terms, more than one recognizable national political expression, institutionally,” he added.
Photo: AP
The official transcript released by the UN included Taiwan’s population, GDP and world economic ranking, adding that the country is “in the top tier of producers of strategic inputs for information communications technology.”
“Surely, Taiwan’s quest for participation in relevant specialized agencies of the United Nations is reasonable and ought to be accommodated,” Gonsalves said.
Taiwan has repeatedly demonstrated that it is a responsible member of the international community, he said, adding that peace across the Taiwan Strait “is an imperative for the prosperity and security of the world.”
Photo: AP
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew said that Taiwan has proven to be a “reliable development partner, which greatly contributes to collective efforts to address the pressing global issues of today.”
He called for Taiwan’s inclusion in international institutions such as the UN and the World Health Assembly, which would enable the country to help advance shared goals and realize the right of 23 million Taiwanese to be adequately represented.
Belizean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration Eamon Courtenay said that excluding Taiwan from the international community “is inconsistent with the realities of today’s world.”
Photo: AFP
“Taiwan is a vibrant, democratic country with the willingness and capacity to contribute to addressing global challenges. Belize calls for Taiwan’s full inclusion in the international system,” he said.
During the first five days of the General Debate, 11 of Taiwan’s 13 diplomatic allies spoke out for the nation, calling for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN system and international organizations.
Haiti was the only country that formally recognizes Taiwan but did not voice its support for the country, as it did last year.
Tomorrow the Holy See, also a diplomatic ally, is set to deliver its statement.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin did not mention Taiwan in his address during last year’s General Debate.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
RSS