Vanuatu Prime Minister Serge Vohor defended his surprise move to forge diplomatic links with Taiwan yesterday, saying the move need not jeopardise links with China.
Arriving back in his homeland after a diplomatic mission to Taipei that caught his own government and Taiwan's arch-rival Beijing off-guard, Vohors said he wanted both countries to give Vanuatu financial assistance.
"We want to work with both China and Taiwan together in our country in the Melanesian spirit of solidarity," Vohors told reporters. "Their fight has nothing to do with us and we want to be friends with both countries because we need the money."
Vohor did not give details on the financial assistance offered by Taiwan but his spokesman Kalvao Moli told the local Daily Post newspaper that Taipei had offered "up to three billion vatu (US$28 million) next year with no strings attached."
On Wednesday Vohor joined Taiwanese officials in Taipei to announce his country granting Taiwan diplomatic recognition.
A senior foreign affairs official in Vanuatu said he was shocked by the announcement as his country had a "one China" policy recognising Beijing's claim over Taiwan and at the time Vohor was believed to be travelling to Sinapore and Australia.
Vohor's action sparked claim and counter-claim from Beijing and Taipei over who had legitimate diplomatic ties.
Only two months ago, on September 10, Vohor visited China and met President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) to reaffirm that Vanuatu would continue to recognise Beijing.
On his return from Taipei, Vohor voiced concerns about delays receiving promised funds from Beijing over the years and said he wanted to maintain ties with both China and Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said that he was unclear as to where the figure of US$28 million had come from. He explained that since establishing ties with the Vanuatu, Taiwan had been discussing various plans for cooperation with the South Pacific nation, but that projects had not yet been legally settled.
"As cooperation plans are still be negotiated, the ministry cannot possibly reveal the amount of financial contributions to be made," Lu said.
Additional reporting by joy su
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS