President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday rebuffed criticism over the potential loss of diplomatic ally the Solomon Islands.
“The situation with the Solomon Islands has not been decided,” she told reporters during visits to a temple and church in the Taipei area, who asked about reports that the Solomon Islands might switch diplomatic ties to Beijing.
Asked about comments by Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, that the nation is “losing face and losing the battle” on international relations, Tsai said that foreign affairs are not about saving face, but “are full of tough challenges at the highest level.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Four things are important, she said.
“First, we need experienced people with an international perspective to take on these tasks,” she said.
The Republic of China needs to make more friends who share the same universal values and when the nation encounters problems, those friends should speak up for Taiwan and defend those shared values, she said.
“Second, we have the responsibility to uphold regional peace and stability,” Tsai said. “Third: For countries in need, especially our diplomatic allies, we must assist their people, helping their economic and industrial development.”
“Fourth, Taiwanese companies need the business opportunities in global markets,” she said.
“These four points have guided the government for the past few years and we are striving to keep them. By doing so, we can receive more support on the international stage and make more friends,” she said. “This is what Taiwanese expect in foreign affairs.”
Asked about Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) quitting the KMT, Tsai, who is seeking re-election, said: “No matter what, I will go all-out for the election campaign... We are confident about the overall situation in the run-up to the election.”
After a cultural event at the Haiguang Temple (海光宮) in Shilin District (士林), Tsai visited the Tamsui (淡水) Presbyterian Church in New Taipei City.
Tsai told church members that all Taiwanese hope that the president would defend Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy and freedom.
“Freedom of religion and culture are the most cherished parts of Taiwan’s cultural heritage,” she said. “As president, I have the responsibility to preserve them.”
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,
RSS