Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) were in the US this week for closed-door meetings with US officials, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Wu and Lin were in the Washington area for talks through a format called the “special channel,” the newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying.
Although the “special channel” was first disclosed by the Financial Times in 2021 when Wu met his US counterpart, senior officials from Taiwan and the US have used the mechanism for years to hold talks, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The US government has kept the channel secret to avoid butting heads with Beijing, known for strenuously protesting any sign of diplomatic engagement between Taiwan and other states, it said.
Wu and then-council secretary-general Wellington Koo (顧立雄) met with US officials during the previous “special channel” in February last year, it said.
The security dialogue is usually conducted in the area surrounding Washington, as long-standing practice prevents the nation’s foreign and defense ministers from entering the capital, it said.
Sources did not disclose the location or timing of the talks, the Financial Times said in its report.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office declined the paper’s request for comments, as did the White House.
The special channel is “one of the most sensitive and important mechanisms in global politics today,” Evan Medeiros, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Initiative for US-China Dialogue on Global Issues, was quoted as saying.
“The meeting comes at a critical time given Taiwan’s recent election. Clear and consistent communication between Taipei and Washington is essential, especially as People’s Republic of China pressure grows,” Medeiros said.
The “special channel” was important due to limits on contact allowed by the unofficial relationship between Taiwan and the US, the newspaper cited Project 2049 Institute chairman Randall Schriver as saying.
“A lot of people have the impression that [Chinese People’s Liberation Army] military activity spikes around events like the [former US House of Representatives speaker Nancy] Pelosi visit or [presidential] inaugurations, and then enters a normal and steady status quo, but the PLA continues to do more things and evolve. We are seeing more nighttime exercises and things like air-to-air refueling on the eastern side of Taiwan,” Schriver was quoted as saying.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS