The Prague-based think tank European Values Center for Security Policy yesterday opened an office in Taipei, which signified Taiwan’s growing ties with Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
Wu made the remarks at the opening of the think tank’s office, adding that the opening demonstrated camaraderie among fellow democratic countries.
The office’s establishment also sends a clear signal to the world that Taiwan’s partnership with the Czech Republic is strengthening, he said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s partnership with democratic countries is a crucial part of its strategy, especially as authoritarian nations attempt to exert their influence on the international stage and threaten to destroy the core values of democracy, he said.
Interacting with the center will hopefully result in viable solutions to combat disinformation, cyberattacks and economic threats from other countries, he added.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk, who also attended the opening, said that the institute could play a constructive role when interacting with the center.
Taiwan can provide its European partners valuable insight into China and the region, she said.
The AIT is happy to see that European partners are concerned with the security of Asia, she said, adding that the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region not only affects nations in Asia, but also the US and Europe.
The US is dedicated to upholding security in the Indo-Pacific regional, especially as China’s actions conflict with the values that the Taiwan, Europe and the US believe in, she said.
China’s human rights abuses, use of the economy as a coercive tool and cyberattacks are increasingly obvious, especially in terms of its relationship with Taiwan, she said.
The primary job of US President Joe Biden’s administration is to support US allies and partners, and jointly uphold and safeguard prosperity, security and the US’ core values, she said.
The US has offered long-term and solid support for Taiwan, which transcends political party differences in Washington, she added.
European Values Center for Security Policy director Jakub Janda said that the establishment of the Taipei office would allow the center to learn how Taiwan upholds democracy, despite direct pressure from China, adding that the office’s establishment was a sign of support for Taiwan.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to