President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday thanked Tuvalu for its support of Taiwan at a state reception for Tuvaluan Minister for Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs Simon Kofe at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
Kofe and his wife arrived at the head of a Tuvaluan diplomatic delegation on Thursday for a six-day visit in which the two nations’ representatives are expected to ink six agreements on issues ranging from trade to climate.
Taiwan thanks Kofe for lending his voice to support the nation’s right to participate in the international community at the World Health Assembly last month and at the UN Ocean Conference a year ago, Tsai said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan collaborates with Tuvalu in a range of fields, including agriculture, education, energy, telecommunications and climate, she said.
Kofe is a strong advocate for a robust international response to climate change and famously recorded a speech while standing in rising sea waters, Tsai said.
Taipei is committed to working with the international community to counter climate change and rising sea levels, as well as assisting Tuvalu in its efforts to build a resilient response system for the climate crisis, she said.
The two nations would soon sign several documents to enhance bilateral cooperation in law enforcement, providing training for diplomats and technology, she added.
Kofe in his address said that the two nations firmly believe in defending national sovereignty, the principles of democracy, regional peace and stability, and sustainable economic development.
Taiwan has been a faithful friend of Tuvalu since the latter’s independence from the UK in 1979 and Taipei’s partnership has been profoundly valuable to Tuvalu’s economic growth, he said.
Tuvalu is deeply concerned about Beijing’s campaign of harassment and menace directed against Taiwan, and the nation does not abandon its friends when confronted with adversity, Kofe said.
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