Sun, Oct 09, 2022 page3

• Taiwan calls for ICAO inclusion as congress ends

  AVIATION SAFETY: Eleven diplomatic allies and other Taiwan-friendly countries urged that the nation be allowed to participate in events at the UN body

  • By Yang Cheng-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Taiwan-friendly nations should support the government’s bid to participate in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, reiterating earlier calls for inclusion in the UN body one day after it concluded its 41st assembly session in Montreal.

  Taipei “strongly condemns” the military exercises China conducted under false pretexts in Taiwanese airspace and waters, which have jeopardized aviation safety in the region and the world, the ministry wrote in a news release.

  The international community must respond to the irresponsible and deliberate actions undertaken by Beijing to disrupt aviation safety, the ministry said.

  Countries friendly to Taiwan should therefore call for the nation’s participation in ICAO events, it said.

  The ministry thanked the 24 government agencies, 73 legislative chambers of 65 countries, and 1,160 politicians and prominent figures who have spoken up in support of Taiwan’s ICAO bid since 2019.

  Their support shows broad international approval for the country’s request, it said.

  As the ICAO concluded its assembly, Civil Aeronautics Administration Deputy Director-General Clark Lin (林俊良) visited Canada and at diplomatic functions hosted by the ministry’s local representative office presented the case for Taiwan’s participation, it said.

  These activities included an international news conference, a diplomatic banquet, and Global Cooperation and Training Framework meetings featuring participants from the US, Japan, Australia and other countries, the ministry said.

  Taiwanese officials had bilateral discussions with ICAO members on the sidelines of the assembly, highlighting the nation’s commitment to bolster global aviation safety, it said.

  Diplomatic allies Paraguay, Guatemala, Belize, Eswatini, Tuvalu, Palau, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia spoke up in support of the assembly, with some saying that the ICAO’s “no country left behind” initiative cannot be realized without Taiwan, the ministry said.

  Allies Nauru, Haiti, and Saint Kitts and Nevis urged ICAO president Salvatore Sciacchitano to enable Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the organization, the ministry added.

  Taiwan’s bid was also supported by France, Japan and New Zealand, it said.

  Germany and the US publicly backed the bid for the first time, it added.

  Those Taiwan-friendly countries conveyed the message that the exclusion of Taiwan for political reasons has created unacceptable risks to global aviation safety, the ministry said.

  Like-minded countries persisted in their support for Taiwan, it said, citing a speech by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in May, a joint statement at a UK-Australia virtual summit in February and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks in October last year.

  The ministry has made strides in garnering bipartisan support from US lawmakers on the federal and state level, it said.

  The US Senate in September proposed the draft ensuring Taiwan aviation and safety act, while the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus and eight state legislatures passed resolutions in support of Taiwan’s bid, it said.

  The ministry called on the ICAO to maintain political neutrality and professional standards, and allow Taiwan’s participation.

  It would have a positive effect on aviation safety, the ministry said.
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