The European Parliament on Wednesday passed two resolutions in support of Taiwan, for the first time encouraging EU members to update their policies on exchanges with the nation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement expressed its gratitude to the parliament for its acknowledgment of Taiwan’s democracy in the resolutions on European security and defense policy, as well as foreign and security policy.
The resolutions encourage EU members to “revisit their engagement policies with Taiwan” and to work with like-minded international partners “to protect democratic Taiwan from foreign threats,” the ministry said.
The two resolutions reiterate that the EU has been closely monitoring the situation in the Taiwan Strait and express concern over “China’s increasingly provocative military maneuvers aimed at Taiwan,” the ministry said.
The resolutions call on both sides to resolve their differences through peaceful means, it added.
In terms of Taiwan’s inclusion in WHO activities, the resolutions urge EU members to support its “meaningful and pragmatic participation as an observer” to jointly fight the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
As an important nation in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan would continue to enhance relations with like-minded partners, including the EU, to promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, the ministry said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
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