Despite tense relations across the Taiwan Strait over the past four years, newly appointed Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman David Lee (李大維) said that Taiwan and China can work together in the public’s best interest.
Lee, a former minister of foreign affairs and long-time diplomat who recently left the post of National Security Council secretary-general, said on Friday when formally named foundation chairman that he wants people in Taiwan and China to benefit from cross-strait ties, while ensuring their long-term development and regional stability.
The foundation, established in 1991, is a semi-official intermediary body responsible for cross-strait affairs.
A series of charter flights arranged to evacuate Taiwanese stranded in China showed how the two sides of the Strait can cooperate over the people’s interests, Lee said.
However, hundreds of Taiwanese were stuck for months in China’s Hubei Province because the two sides argued over how to evacuate them.
Lee reiterated what President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said about cross-strait ties in her second inaugural address on May 20.
“Cross-strait relations have reached a historical turning point,” Tsai said. “Both sides have a duty to find a way to coexist over the long term, and prevent the intensification of antagonism and differences.”
Lee stressed that everything between the two sides, no matter how big or how small, is important, saying that issues need to be handled with seriousness and professionalism so that exchanges and goodwill can continue to be improved.
The future of cross-strait ties lies in the people of both sides, whether they are Taiwanese working or studying in China, or Chinese students or spouses in Taiwan, Lee added.
Lee, who has been Taiwan’s representative to the US, Canada, the EU and Australia, took over as foundation chair from Katharine Chang (張小月), another long-time diplomat who filled the post for more than two years.
Chang, who first headed the Mainland Affairs Council in Tsai’s administration before running the Straits Exchange Foundation, said that Lee’s experience in the National Security Council and his deep understanding of global and cross-strait affairs would help his leadership at the foundation.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS