The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei for his support of Taiwan, after he said he had rejected China’s diplomatic overtures.
Taiwan has 14 diplomatic allies, after Nicaragua switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing on Thursday last week while the US was hosting the Summit for Democracy.
Guatemala intends to remain loyal to Taipei even though its neighbor has changed diplomatic allegiance, Giammattei said during a video interview with the Financial Times published on Monday.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“We are the last country in which China has not succeeded in inserting itself,” the newspaper quoted Giammattei as saying. “The Chinese are pressuring us a lot, they are offering us a lot ... they did offer [vaccines, but] we didn’t accept.”
The first biosecurity clothing and respirators Guatemala received during the COVID-19 pandemic were from Taiwan, he said, calling the nation its “only real ally.”
In Taipei, the ministry thanked Giammattei for his support and expressed its admiration for his rejection of China’s attempt to use COVID-19 vaccines to entice the country to abandon Taiwan.
China has been exhausting all means to limit Taiwan’s international space, such as exaggerating its promises to Taiwan’s allies or utilizing vaccines to force them to switch recognition, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement, describing Beijing’s tactics as crude and shameless.
Taiwan is a trustworthy cooperation partner, she said.
The government would continue to promote practical and cooperative programs that are beneficial for the nation’s diplomatic allies, as it is seeking to consolidate its relations with Guatemala and other allies, Ou said.
During a visit to Washington, Giammattei on Monday last week reaffirmed Guatemala’s ties with Taiwan and alignment with US policy in a speech at the Heritage Foundation.
He also met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday last week.
“Sullivan applauded the Giammattei government’s work to combat criminal organizations involved in the trafficking and smuggling of drugs and people, and both noted the United States’ desire to collaborate with Guatemala to expand port security,” the White House said in a statement.
He also reaffirmed the US’ commitment to work with Guatemala to combat corruption, address the country’s internal security and support regional economic development, the statement said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS