The Holy See seeks solutions that are beneficial to all concerned parties instead of adopting a “win-lose” approach in its relationships with international allies, Monsignor Paul Russell, the Vatican’s top envoy to Taiwan, said yesterday in Taipei.
“We must seek to break out of the current international framework of competing alliances, in which one or some parties win and one or some parties lose. We must break out of the sterile win-lose approach,” Russell said at a Mass yesterday to mark the second anniversary of the election of Pope Francis.
A win-lose approach only fosters resentment in the party that has “lost,” Russell said.
“Instead, we must seek solutions which are ‘win-win’ situations beneficial to all concerned,” he said.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Shih (史亞平) attended the Mass to convey the government’s congratulations to Pope Francis and Russell.
Russell said Shih’s presence at the Mass was a sign of the esteem and respect which the Republic of China (ROC) has for the Holy See.
“I assure you, Vice Minister Shih, on behalf of the Holy See, that those feelings are mutual,” Russell said.
The Holy See values deeply each of the relationships it has with 180 countries, including the Republic of China (ROC), as well as unofficial relations it has with several other countries, and commits itself to work so that they may progress for the good of all peoples, he said.
Shih said that diplomatic relations between ROC and the Holy See are now in their 73rd year.
“We aim to further strengthen its humanitarian partnership with the Holy See based on shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights and compassion,” she said in a speech.
“We will also continue to serve as a peacemaker, promoting cross-strait and regional peace and stability, as we work together with the Vatican toward world peace,” she said.
Official ties between the ROC and the Vatican have weathered rumors at all times that the Holy See might switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing, most recently following a report by Hong Kong’s Apple Daily that a Sino-Vatican agreement is close at hand.
The ministry has repeatedly expressed its confidence in the nation’s relationship with the Vatican, saying that Beijing’s restrictions on religious freedom continue to be an obstacle to forging ties with the Holy See.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai
RSS