The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned the Chinese delegation at the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) for claiming that Beijing’s “one China” principle is recognized by the majority of the international community.
Chinese Ambassador to the US and Permanent Observer to the OAS Xie Feng (謝鋒) on Friday said at the assembly in Paraguay that 183 nations have built diplomatic relations with China based on the “one China” principle and that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.”
In Taipei, the ministry reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation called the Republic of China and does not belong to the People’s Republic of China.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The People’s Republic of China has never governed Taiwan, a modern country that seeks to safeguard its democratic system, while respecting human rights and the rule of law, the ministry said in a news release.
That is the situation commonly recognized by the international community, it said.
No distorted narrative that denies Taiwan’s sovereignty can change its political status, the ministry said, adding that China’s false remarks could threaten cross-strait stability and disrupt the international order.
The ministry urged the international community not to endorse China’s “malicious comments” seeking to deprecate Taiwan’s sovereignty status.
Taiwan is on the front line of defending democracy, facing propaganda and military threats from China, it said, adding that Taiwan would reinforce its collaboration with other democracies to deter China’s authoritarian expansion, and defend cross-strait peace and prosperity.
In other news, the ministry on Friday said that a visa-waiver program for Chinese tourists announced by the Laotian government includes an element that gives the false impression that Taiwan is a part of China.
A document issued on Wednesday by the Laotian government showed that Chinese visitors to the county may visit visa-free for up to 15 days as part of a group tour, provided their itinerary has been approved by the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
The policy, valid from tomorrow to Dec. 31, also extends to tourists from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, the document says.
The inclusion of Taiwan under the policy to boost tourism came amid pressure from Beijing and was aimed at giving the false impression that Taiwan is part of China, MOFA said.
Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, and Laos should not collaborate with China in undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty and international standing, the ministry said, adding that it has conveyed its stance to the Laotian government through Taiwan’s representative office in Vietnam.
Despite the policy, Taiwanese tourists visiting Laos still need on-arrival visas, as stated in a clause in the document.
There has been no change to regulations for Taiwanese wanting to visit Laos to obtain an electronic or on-arrival visa, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan has signed six arms procurement offers from the US totaling more than NT$208 billion (US$6.59 billion) covering long-range precision strike systems, missile stockpile replenishment and joint production of large-caliber ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan as opposition lawmakers question the amount and procurement items, while the Presidential Office and defense ministry say that the full amount is necessary to safeguard Taiwan. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday briefed the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the defense budget for
RSS