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
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