Leaders of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Caribbean on Saturday voiced their support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations on the fifth day of this year’s UN General Assembly, citing the nation’s success in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taiwan, “as a responsible advocate for sustainable development and an exemplar of the magnificent Chinese civilization,” deserves to be included in the specialized agencies and bodies of the UN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said at the assembly.
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris reiterated his country’s long-held stance in calling for “Taiwan’s inclusion in this international fraternity of nations.”
Photo: A
Harris praised Taiwan for remaining a true partner in the fight against COVID-19.
“We have seen first-hand Taiwan’s exemplary management of the pandemic within its own borders, and we have been impressed by, frankly, by its willingness to help vulnerable states all around the world,” he said.
In addition to Saint Kitts and Nevis, Taiwan has assisted many states in combating the pandemic, by sending more than 51 million masks, as well as other medical equipment, to more than 80 countries, Harris said.
“In our view, the international community has been deprived of the gift of true partnership offered by the 23.5 million people of Taiwan,” he said.
“My hope is that Taiwan can be included in the UN system, particularly the WHO — its meetings, its mechanisms and activities — thereby improving the global response and resources available to address transboundary crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“The exclusion of Taiwan — its experience, its expertise and resources, in my view, leaves a partial vacuum in the global response to COVID-19. The World Health Organization can only benefit from the inclusion of such a worthy member,” he added.
Saint Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet praised Taiwan for demonstrating “impressive leadership,” not just in its own success in containing the spread of COVID-19, but also in “coming to the aid of nations such as Saint Lucia and other countries to provide medical resources and technical advice.”
“The pandemic, which has touched every country, is a potent reminder of the interconnectedness of human societies and more reason why in building our new world economic order, we must leave no one behind; no people, no country should be allowed to fall through the cracks,” Chastanet said.
“Saint Lucia would never have done as well as we did with managing the pandemic without friends like the people of Taiwan and Cuba,” he added.
So far, 10 of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies have spoken on its behalf during the assembly, including Eswatini, Haiti, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay and Tuvalu.
The general debate of the 75th UN General Assembly began on Tuesday last week and is to end tomorrow, when three more of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua — are scheduled to speak.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS