A former NATO deputy chief yesterday praised Taiwan for being a “responsible stakeholder” that is open to dialogue and working toward de-escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking during a luncheon address at the Yushan forum in Taipei, Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo, president of the NATO Defense College Foundation who served as NATO deputy secretary-general from 2001 to 2007, said that the EU and Taiwan have already developed good relations despite the lack of official diplomatic relations.
Both sides have held yearly commercial discussions and have regular dialogue regarding industrial policy and the digital economy, leading to Taiwan becoming the EU’s fourth-largest commercial partner in Asia.
Photo: CNA
The European Parliament has formally addressed the EU’s relations with Taiwan “in a positive spirit” by “recognizing it as a functioning democracy and a potential partner for further cooperation,” Minuto-Rizzo said.
There is a consensus in Euro-Atlantic institutions that Taiwan is a “vibrant civil society, a cutting-edge economy and adopts a proactive pragmatism as a general line of action,” he added.
“It also acts as a responsible stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region, charting a course between extremes, open to dialogue and de-escalation of tensions, willing to work in an Asian multilevel concrete environment,” he said.
The ex-NATO deputy also hinted that Taiwan could have the opportunity to work “at UN level.”
“There is surely the possibility to cooperate toward the common good at the global level by avoiding dangerous escalations and working together at UN-level and more limited formats to tackle evident global challenges that outpace the capabilities of single nations or groups of countries. The EU and NATO will surely contribute also at this wider level,” he said.
Minuto-Rizzo was invited to speak at the two-day Yushan Forum held on Wednesday and yesterday, which first took place in 2017 as part of the government’s New Southbound Policy.
Launched by the Democratic Progressive Party government in 2017, the policy aims to increase exchanges between Taiwan and neighboring ASEAN member states, six countries in South Asia, plus Australia and New Zealand.
Separately on Wednesday, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison voiced support for including Taiwan as a non-state member in international organizations and suggested that Taiwan could participate as an adjunct non-member in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), which includes Australia, India, Japan and the US.
During a speech in Taipei after his address at the Yushan Forum, Morrison, who now serves as a lawmaker, advocated the enlargement of the scope and nature of Australia’s unofficial relations with Taiwan — both bilaterally and multilaterally — “within a modernized ‘one China’ framework.”
Admission of Taiwan as a non-state member into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the WHO and other UN forums would be a great start and is long overdue, he said.
Other options include adjunct non-member engagement in economic, environmental, technological and humanitarian dialogues with multilateral fora, including the QUAD, he said.
Under such “one China” policy settings, Taiwan’s practical autonomy could be enhanced, while at the same time not crossing the threshold of national statehood, he added.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS