Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday expressed his sincere thanks to US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy for calling for Taiwan’s inclusion in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) technical work regardless of politics.
The ministry relayed Lin’s thanks in a statement issued after Duffy’s remarks on the first day of the ICAO’s triennial general assembly in Montreal on Tuesday.
Duffy said that for the sake of global safety, countries that threaten aviation security should be excluded from the ICAO leadership, while all stakeholders, including Taiwan, must be included in its technical work regardless of politics.
Photo: screen grab from Sean Duffy’s X account
“There is no room for politics on this question — this is about safety and security of the global system we all enjoy, and of which Taiwan plays an active part,” he said.
Civil Aviation Administration of China Deputy Administrator Liang Nan (梁楠) hit back against Duffy’s comments on Taiwan, saying “there is only one China in the world.”
Last month, US lawmakers urged the ICAO to oppose China’s decision to unilaterally extend a flight route in the Taiwan Strait.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it sternly condemns Liang’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 and Beijing’s “one China principle,” intended to use political manipulation to block Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and multilateral mechanisms.
The ministry reiterated that the Republic of China is an independent sovereign country, and it and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other — which is the “status quo” of the Taiwan Strait that is recognized by the international community.
UN Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan, nor state that Taiwan is a part of the PRC, and it did not give China the right to represent Taiwan in the UN, the ministry said.
Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent Taiwan in the ICAO, the UN system and other international bodies, it said.
The Civil Aviation Administration is the only authority that maintains the safety of the Taipei Flight Information Region, providing traffic control services for more than 1 million flights per year, so including Taiwan in the ICAO can ensure the integrity and safety of the global civil aviation system, the ministry said.
It urged the ICAO to firmly reject China’s political pressure, and invite Taiwan to its meetings, mechanism and events.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Duffy also criticized the UN aviation group for not focusing enough on safety and security.
“Over the years, this body has extended itself far beyond its proper mandate — wasting critical resources on social programs or climate financing initiatives that have nothing to do with the safety, security and efficiency of the global air transportation system,” he said.
“Our ability to achieve this reform will factor into how [US] President [Donald] Trump and the United States evaluate support for ICAO moving forward,” Duffy said.
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas told the assembly that environmental targets, such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050, are in line with its goals on safety and security.
“None of these elements can be viewed in isolation,” he said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS