Members of the international community on Saturday congratulated President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on her re-election.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Kono said Japan hoped to maintain its pragmatic relations with Taiwan and bolster bilateral cooperation, as Japan and Taiwan share common basic values and enjoy a close economic relationship.
He urged parties involved in the “Taiwan issue” to resolve their differences through “peaceful direct dialogue” and to promote peace and stability in the region.
The European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group said in a statement that the smooth and successful election once again testified to the strength of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy and showed the determination of Taiwanese to uphold their democratic way of life, free from foreign intimidation and interference.
European External Action Service spokesperson Virginie Battu-Henriksson congratulated Taiwan for its high voter turnout, which was about 75 percent.
“Our respective systems of governance are founded on a shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” she said in a statement, adding that the EU closely follows cross-strait developments and encourages dialogue and constructive engagement between Taiwan and China.
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab said that the elections were a “testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy,” and he expressed hope that Taiwan and China would renew dialogue to resolve their differences.
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Rene Clarke Cooper said on Twitter that “the free and fair elections in #Taiwan is #democracy in action.”
He also retweeted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s congratulatory statement, in which Pompeo praised Taiwan for having once again demonstrated the strength of its robust democratic system.
Former US vice president Joe Biden called for stronger ties with Taiwan in a tweet congratulating Tsai’s on her victory.
“Congratulations to President Tsai and the people of Taiwan for another successful election,” wrote Biden. “You are stronger because of your free and open society.”
US Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, extended his “warmest congratulations,” while US Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, via the committee’s Twitter account, congratulated Tsai, and Taiwanese on another successful democratic election.
US representatives Steve Chabot, Albio Sires, Mario Diaz-Balart and Gerald Connolly, co-chairs of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus, said the elections “demonstrate once again that democracy manifests the will of the people in a way that promotes peace, freedom and prosperity.”
They vowed to work with Tsai’s administration to improve Taiwan-US relations.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
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