The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday reiterated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, following an EU ambassador’s statement about the bloc’s stance on the Taiwan Strait.
Spanish Ambassador to Japan Jorge Toledo Albinana, who the EU at the end of last month named as its next envoy to China, said in an interview with Barcelona-based La Vanguardia that the EU supports Taiwan’s peaceful “unification” with China, but not independence.
Albinana is to start at the embassy in China in September.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
China was surprised at the opposition Russia drew from the EU, the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea after it invaded Ukraine, he told the newspaper.
He does not think that Taiwan might be the next Ukraine, as Taiwan is a “mountainous island,” unlike Ukraine, which is vast and flat, he said.
“We believe that there is only one China,” he said, adding that if a military invasion of Taiwan were to occur, “the EU has clearly stated that it would take the same or even harsher measures than the ones used against Russia together with the US and other allies.”
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday told a news briefing that Taiwan is an independent, sovereign state and a highly developed democratic country.
“Taiwan and the EU share the values of freedom and democracy,” Ou said, adding that Taiwan is strategically important and plays a critical role in the global supply chain.
The Chinese government has never governed Taiwan and only the government chosen by Taiwanese can represent them on the international stage, she said.
Taiwan would continue to bolster its friendly ties with EU members and other like-minded countries based on the already solid foundation, she added.
The European Economic and Trade Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese