Former Panamanian ambassador to Taiwan Alfredo Martiz Fuentes yesterday expressed regret at not speaking out more when Panama on Tuesday severed ties with the nation and voiced his affection for Taiwanese.
While Taiwan received little warning of the shift to Beijing, there were signs of Panama’s consideration, including when it did not send a new ambassador after Martiz on April 30 left to take over as his nation’s head of social security.
In a letter linked on Twitter, Martiz said he was at fault for not raising his voice when learning of the severance.
“Owing to the diplomatic circumstances between my country and the Republic of China [Taiwan], I have to acknowledge a sole fault: not having raised my voice when I realized the breaking of diplomatic relations between both countries due to the impact of the news and the pain it causes me to leave such fond and happy memories,” he wrote.
However, he refused to pass judgement on his nation’s decision, because “it is not my duty to do so.”
However, he also added that the “human effort that enriched my diplomatic undertaking” has become “permanently clouded by the shadow” of Panama’s decision.
Martiz, who served as ambassador for two-and-a-half years, also directly addressed the people and government of the nation.
“To the people of Taiwan, my deep appreciation and permanent affection. To its government, my commitment remains as strong as ever, I shall become a bridge and a means as interlocutor,” Martiz wrote.
Panama’s decision has left Taiwan with 20 diplomatic allies, more than half of whom are in the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
China is attempting to subsume Taiwanese culture under Chinese culture by promulgating legislation on preserving documents on ties between the Minnan region and Taiwan, a Taiwanese academic said yesterday. China on Tuesday enforced the Fujian Province Minnan and Taiwan Document Protection Act to counter Taiwanese cultural independence with historical evidence that would root out misleading claims, Chinese-language media outlet Straits Today reported yesterday. The act is “China’s first ad hoc local regulations in the cultural field that involve Taiwan and is a concrete step toward implementing the integrated development demonstration zone,” Fujian Provincial Archives deputy director Ma Jun-fan (馬俊凡) said. The documents
RSS