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.”
A total lunar eclipse coinciding with the Lantern Festival on March 3 would be Taiwan’s most notable celestial event this year, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said, urging skywatchers not to miss it. There would be four eclipses worldwide this year — two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses — the museum’s Web site says. Taiwan would be able to observe one of the lunar eclipses in its entirety on March 3. The eclipse would be visible as the moon rises at 5:50pm, already partly shaded by the Earth’s shadow, the museum said. It would peak at about 7:30pm, when the moon would
Taiwan’s Li Yu-hsiang performs in the men’s singles figure skating short program at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Li finished 24th with a score of 72.41 to advance to Saturday’s free skate portion of the event. He is the first Taiwanese to qualify for the free skate of men’s singles figure skating at the Olympics since David Liu in 1992.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday held a ceremony marking the delivery of its 11th Anping-class offshore patrol vessel Lanyu (蘭嶼艦), saying it would boost Taiwan’s ability to respond to Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics. Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chang Chung-Lung (張忠龍) presided over the CGA event in the Port of Kaoshiung. Representatives of the National Security Council also attended the event. Designed for long-range and protracted patrol operations at sea, the Lanyu is a 65.4m-long and 14.8m-wide ship with a top speed of 44 knots (81.5kph) and a cruising range of 2,000 nautical miles (3704km). The vessel is equipped with a
DEFENSE: The US should cancel the US visas or green cards of relatives of KMT and TPP lawmakers who have been blocking the budget, Grant Newsham said A retired US Marine Corps officer has suggested canceling the US green cards and visas of relatives of opposition Taiwanese lawmakers who have been stalling the review of a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget. The Executive Yuan has proposed the budget for major weapons purchases over eight years, from this year to 2033. However, opposition lawmakers have refused to review the proposal, demanding that President William Lai (賴清德) first appear before the Legislative Yuan to answer questions about the proposed budget. On Thursday last week, 37 bipartisan US lawmakers sent a letter to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the heads
RSS