Nine of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies yesterday called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to include the nation in the deliberations about technology and sustainable development at the UN Summit for the Future.
The 79th session of the UN General Assembly opened on Tuesday last week, with the high-level General Debate to run from Tuesday to Saturday next week.
The joint letter, dated Thursday, said the UN should acknowledge and address the malicious distortions to UN Resolution 2758 that have endangered the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo: EPA-EFE
UN Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative” of China, but does not state that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, as Beijing has insisted.
UN Resolution 2758 did not exclude Taiwan from meaningful participation in the UN system, the letter said, adding that the UN should seek appropriate measures to allow the nation’s contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
The UN is called upon to adhere to strict neutrality in disputes by stopping the resolution’s erroneous citation, which had been used to deprive the right of the Taiwanese public and media to attend, observe or report on UN proceedings, the letter said.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Permanent Representative to the UN Inga Rhonda King was cited as saying it is unthinkable to exclude Taiwan from deliberations surrounding the Pact for the Future and Global Digital Contract.
Taiwan, which produces 90 percent of the world’s high-end chips and is a leader in artificial intelligence, is not permitted to take part in discussions about building digital guardrails and supply chains, King said.
Guatemalan Permanent Representative to the UN Carla Maria Rodriguez Mancia said that her government hopes more nations would join in supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in the mechanisms of the international body.
The matter is too important for the international community to continue to neglect, Mancia said.
It would be topically appropriate to allow Taiwan, a democracy possessing freedoms and technology, to be part of this year’s discussions about the future, which would impact generations to come, she said.
Taiwan’s meaningful participation in UN mechanisms and agencies would be a pragmatic move to enable its contribution to world affairs including digital governance, natural disaster relief and climate change, Mancia said.
Belizean Permanent Representative to the UN Carlos Fuller said that Taiwan is one of the island nations most threatened by rising sea levels, making its exclusion from UN conferences on climate warming an important issue.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York Director Tom Lee (李志強) said that Taiwan thanks its friends for their unwavering support for the nation’s bid to join the UN.
Diplomatic efforts this year would focus on correcting misconceptions about Resolution 2758, which has impeded Taiwan from contributing to the global push for sustainable development, he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
RSS