Three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, Paraguay, the Marshall Islands and Palau, this week voiced support for the nation’s inclusion in the UN at the General Debate of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.
In his address on Thursday, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena reiterated that Paraguay is committed to the principle of “leave no nation behind” and supports countries excluded from important international forums to become integral members of the world body.
“Paraguay not only recognizes, but also profoundly values international cooperation with the Republic of China, Taiwan,” Pena said. “This is a kindred nation with which we have for more than 70 years forged robust and meaningful friendship.”
Photo: AFP
The friendship is based on “the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and free trade,” he said, adding that it was “forged through the adversity of two geographically small countries living alongside great powers.”
“In this assembly, we renew our firm support for Taiwan to be a full part of the United Nations,” Pena said, adding that the country’s exclusion from the international community is an “injustice” that cannot be overlooked.
“Their [Taiwan’s] contribution to the international community should be recognized,” he said. “If there is a country that today should be a part of the United Nations and is not yet so, that is Taiwan.”
Photo: AFP
Also on Thursday, Palauan Vice President Uduch Sengebau Sr reaffirmed her country’s strong and enduring relationship with Taiwan and called for its meaningful participation in international organizations.
“Taiwan’s exclusion undermines the principles of inclusivity and cooperation that the United Nations represents,” Sengebau said, adding that “UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not preclude Taiwan’s involvement in efforts related to the sustainable development goals and we urge this assembly to support Taiwan’s rightful inclusion.”
Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China’s representation at the world body.
It resulted in Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China, losing its seat at the UN to the People’s Republic of China.
Taiwan has since been excluded from participating in the international organization and its affiliates.
On Wednesday, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine also expressed her country’s support for Taiwan, saying that only the latter’s independent democratic government can represent its 23 million people.
“The UN Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan and should not be used as a pretext to exclude Taiwan from participating meaningfully in the UN system,” Heine said, adding that the resolution has been “misused to threaten cross-strait trade, regional peace and security.”
“This was never its original intent. It cannot serve as a sound basis to prohibit Taiwanese citizens and journalists from the UN premises,” she added.
The General Debate of the 79th UN General Assembly opened in New York on Tuesday and is scheduled to end tomorrow.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS