Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine on Monday reaffirmed her support for robust relations with Taiwan at her inauguration in Majuro, with dignitaries from around the world, including Taiwan, attending the ceremony.
Messages of congratulations were read out at the ceremony, including from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Palau and the US, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光), who attended the inauguration as a special envoy of Tsai, said the two countries share the values of democracy and freedom, with both having just conducted national elections.
Photo: CNA
Heine reaffirmed the 26 years of strong ties between the two nations, adding that her administration would continue to cherish the long-standing friendship, MOFA said.
Heine also once again congratulated Vice President William Lai (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on winning the presidential election on Jan. 13 and praised Taiwan as a model of democracy, MOFA added.
Heine was elected president on Jan. 2 by a 17-16 margin over David Kabua, who ousted Heine in 2020 after her previous stint as president from 2016 to 2020 by a 20-12 vote plus one abstention.
In the Marshall Islands, presidents are chosen by the country’s 33 parliamentarians, who are selected by the electorate.
During his stay, Tien also met with top Marshall Islands officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce Anthony Muller, Minister in Assistance Bremity Lakjohn and Minister of Justice and Immigration Wisely Zackhras, to discuss cooperation projects, MOFA said.
Tien also witnessed the delivery of 60 tonnes of rice donated by Taiwan to the Pacific island nation during a ceremony, it said.
Tien and his delegation were scheduled to return to Taiwan later yesterday, it said.
Tien’s delegation departed Taiwan on Wednesday last week, two days after Nauru, about 1,000km southwest of the Marshall Islands, announced that it was severing ties with Taiwan to recognize the People’s Republic of China.
In related news, senior officials in Tuvalu have denied reports that the Pacific island country would sever ties with Taiwan, MOFA East Asia and Pacific Affairs Deputy Director-General Eric Chen (陳俊吉) said.
In an article in the Weekend Australian on Friday last week, Tuvaluan Ambassador to Taiwan Bikenibeu Paeniu was cited as saying that “sources from Tuvalu” had told him that the country could follow Nauru and switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing after Tuvalu’s elections on Friday.
The former Tuvaluan prime minister called on Australia and its allies and partners to closely watch the situation and to step up their support for his nation.
MOFA and Taiwan’s embassy in Tuvalu reached out to Tuvalu’s government and Paeniu for clarification.
Tuvalu’s government said that Paeniu’s controversial statement did not represent the country’s official stance, and it affirmed that its diplomatic relations with Taiwan remained strong.
Meanwhile, a diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters yesterday that Paeniu told MOFA that his source on the potential diplomatic switch was originally from Nauru.
Given that Nauru had just established diplomatic ties with China, the source said it was highly likely that Nauru was working closely with Beijing to spread disinformation to put more pressure on Taipei.
The source added that MOFA and Taiwan’s embassy in Tuvalu have continued to maintain cordial relations with all 16 Tuvaluan parliamentarians across party lines.
Except for one or two members considered to be more pro-China, a large majority of Tuvalu’s parliamentarians have all agreed to continue to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the source said.
It is therefore believed that Taiwan-Tuvalu ties would remain unchanged whoever wins the general election and becomes the next prime minister of Tuvalu, the source said.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS