The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said that diplomatic ties with Honduras remain firm in spite of the Central American nation's president recently saying he would try to shore up ties with all nations, including China.
MOFA spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) said the media had blown Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya's comments out of proportion when he said Tegucigalpa would not rule out establishing closer ties with Beijing.
"The comment was made during Zelaya's visit to Costa Rica and the local reporters have read too much into the remarks," Yeh said, stressing that nothing Zelaya said was contradictory to what he has always said in the past.
Honduras, Yeh noted, has always adhered to the policy that it welcomes the establishment of stronger ties with any country, including China, under the condition that its relations with Taiwan remain unchanged.
Honduras newspaper La Prensa said Zelaya had hinted on a private visit to Costa Rica that his nation could establish diplomatic relations with Beijing. The paper quoted him as saying: "We have the intention of opening relations with all countries in the world, even China."
Taiwanese ambassador to Honduras Lai Chien-chung (賴建中) told the Central News Agency that Zelaya's commitment to Taiwan remains solid.
"Zelaya was the first head of state to express his support for Taiwan's independence and recognized Taiwan's contributions to the Central American region last September at the UN Assembly [in New York]," he said.
During President Chen Shui-bian's (
In other developments, the ministry declined to comment on speculation of possible Taiwan-Barbados ties, except to say Taiwan seeks to establish relations with any country that upholds democratic values and recognizes its sovereignty.
Talk of Barbados switching allegiance from Beijing to Taipei came after the Caribbean nation elected Taiwan-friendly candidate David Thompson as its new prime minister last week.
During his campaign, Thompson promised to break 30-year ties with China once he entered office.
Thompson's rival, outgoing prime minister Arthur Owen, has accused Taiwan of meddling in the election by providing a large cash donation to Thompson's Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
Owen and his Barbados Labour Party said that Barbados' intelligence services had reported that there had been frequent contact between the DLP and Taipei, via St. Kitts, and said that the campaign finance came after Thompson made his promise to switch diplomatic ties.
Taiwan has categorically denied the accusations.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
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