Taiwan needs to be on the alert for China's ongoing efforts to sabotage Taiwan's relations with its allies, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jason Hu (
Hu called a press conference in New York during a scheduled stopover on his way to the Dominican Republic.
At the press conference, Hu called Taiwan's relations with Panama "quite stable," but emphasized that Taiwan must always be on guard against China's attempt to whittle down the island's diplomatic ties.
When asked what level officials will represent Taiwan at the hand-over ceremony of the Panama Canal, Hu said the foreign ministry had not yet decided on the makeup of the delegation since Panama had yet to extend its official invitation.
Hu is scheduled to arrive in Dominica today together with a group of 19 business leaders from Taiwan to explore investment possibilities.
Hu is scheduled to fly to Panama on Oct. 27 via Miami.
In Taipei, foreign ministry spokesman Henry Chen (3粉坌F) said Hu would talk with Panamanian President Mirea Moscoso and his foreign minister, both of whom he had not met since their inauguration on Sept. 1.
There have been reports that Taiwan-Panama ties were hanging in the balance -- although Panama denied earlier this month it was considering establishing diplomatic relations with China.
When asked about possible difficulties Taiwan shipping operations may face after the handover of the Panama Canal, Hu said he hoped operations along the canal would not be affected by politics.
The ports on each end of the canal will be handled by Hutchinson Whampoa, a Hong Kong-based company, headed by Li Ka-shing, a Hong Kong entrepreneur who has close ties among Beijing's leaders.
Former Panamanian president Jorge Enrique Illueca and his party recently held talks with Chinese vice-premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛), the Xinhua news agency reported, and Chinese vice-minister for foreign affairs Yang Jiechi has made a low-profile visit to the country.
Panama is one of Taiwan's 28 diplomatic allies -- mainly in Latin America, the South Pacific and Africa.
Beijing opened a trade representative office in Panama City in 1995, after the initializing of economic relations between the two countries.
The Far Eastern Economic Review reported recently that a diplomatic switch may be imminent, after a Panamanian diplomat recently traveled to the mainland to introduce the new government of President Mireya Moscoso.
The magazine also quoted the country's Hong Kong representative as saying Panama won't "close doors on the possibility" of establishing formal relations with China.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS