Japan was the first to congratulate president-elect William Lai (賴清德) last night, after the Democratic Progressive Party candidate won the party a third consecutive term in office.
In a statement, the Japanese minister of foreign affairs extended its congratulations to the candidate.
The EU in a separate statement did not mention Lai by name, saying only it “welcomed” the presidential election and congratulates “all the voters who participated in this democratic exercise.”
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
“The EU remains concerned about growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo,” the statement by a spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said. “The European Union underlines that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are key to regional and global security and prosperity.”
Meanwhile in China, the Chinese Communist Party was reigning in online discussion about the election.
A hashtag about the vote was trending on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo yesterday morning as polls opened.
However, by midday, searches for “Taiwan election” yielded a notice reading: “According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed.”
Some content about the election was still available on the site early in the afternoon, although many posts appeared to come from verified, state-affiliated accounts.
After weeks of strong rhetoric over the Taiwan vote from Beijing — but little coverage in Chinese state media for the domestic audience — the 7pm official China Central Television news program Xinwen Lianbo made no mention of the vote.
In Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hours before the vote asked Beijing to maintain cross-strait stability during a meeting with Liu Jianchao (劉建超), head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international department.
“The two sides had a constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including areas of potential cooperation and areas of difference,” US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “The secretary reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea.”
Beijing did not mention Taiwan in its statement following the talks, instead saying the two sides agreed to “continue to strengthen dialogue and cooperation.”
The USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson strike groups were reportedly stationed in the Western Pacific east of Taiwan in a move experts called a clear warning to Beijing, as well as a bid to mediate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday voiced dissatisfaction with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), whose latest meeting, concluded earlier the same day, appeared not to address the country’s application. In a statement, MOFA said the CPTPP commission had "once again failed to fairly process Taiwan’s application," attributing the inaction to the bloc’s "succumbing to political pressure," without elaborating. Taiwan submitted its CPTPP application under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" on Sept. 22, 2021 -- less than a week after China
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
A home-style restaurant opened by a Taiwanese woman in Quezon City in Metro Manila has been featured in the first-ever Michelin Guide honoring exceptional restaurants in the Philippines. The restaurant, Fong Wei Wu (豐味屋), was one of 74 eateries to receive a “Michelin Selected” honor in the guide, while one restaurant received two Michelin stars, eight received one star and 25 were awarded a “Bib Gourmand.” The guide, which was limited to restaurants in Metro Manila and Cebu, was published on Oct. 30. In an interview, Feng Wei Wu’s owner and chef, Linda, said that as a restaurateur in her 60s, receiving an
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Monday announced light shows and themed traffic lights to welcome fans of South Korean pop group Twice to the port city. The group is to play Kaohsiung on Saturday as part of its “This Is For” world tour. It would be the group’s first performance in Taiwan since its debut 10 years ago. The all-female group consists of five South Koreans, three Japanese and Tainan’s Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜), the first Taiwan-born and raised member of a South Korean girl group. To promote the group’s arrival, the city has been holding a series of events, including a pop-up
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