FOREIGN AFFAIRS
US backs Taipei in dispute
The US Department of State on Wednesday said it encourages countries to “expand engagement” with Taiwan, as Taipei faces an approaching deadline from South Africa to move its representative office out of Pretoria due to Chinese pressure. Asked about the office dispute, a department spokesperson referred reporters to Taipei and Pretoria for comment. “But I want to emphasize that we encourage all countries to expand engagement with Taiwan,” the official said. “Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded and democratic partner, and its partnerships around the world provide significant and sustainable benefits to the citizens of those countries.”
DIPLOMACY
Lin on first diplomatic trip
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Wednesday embarked on a trip to the nation’s allies in Latin America and the Caribbean — his first since assuming the post on May 20. President William Lai (賴清德) appointed Lin as a special envoy to represent the government at celebrations to mark the 45th Independence Day of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where he is expected to meet with Governor-General Susan Dougan and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs news release said. Lin is also to visit Guatemala, Saint Lucia, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis before returning on Saturday next week. Lin is to promote a plan aimed at strengthening ties with “solid partners” to help them become “prosperous partners,” leading to enhanced mutual prosperity, the ministry said.
DEFENSE
Navy receives new vessel
The navy on Wednesday took delivery of a rescue and salvage ship that is set to be the first vessel of its class, a source with knowledge of the matter said. The Da Wu, contracted under the navy’s An Hai Project, took project contractor CSBC Corp three years to build and is set to be the first of several “Da Wu” class ships to replace the nation’s aging fleet of search-and-rescue vessels, the source said. The Da Wu, as well as its technical data sheets and maintenance manuals, were handed over to the navy on Wednesday morning, the source said, without disclosing where the ceremony was held. The navy would now begin training in preparation for the ship to be officially commissioned, the source added. The new class of vessels is 87m long and 15.5m at its widest point, the source said. The first ship in the class has a displacement of 3,250 tonnes and a maximum speed of 18 knots when fully loaded. It is equipped with a diving bell that can reach depths of 100m and a remotely operated underwater vehicle with a dive limit of 500m, which should bolster the navy’s rescue and salvage capacity. In addition to rescuing and salvaging navy ships, the ship is expected to undertake towing missions, double as a floating dock or offshore platform and help with humanitarian rescue missions involving civilian ships, the navy said.
DIPLOMACY
Envoy to Indonesia tapped
Bruce Hung (洪振榮), former head of Taiwan’s representative office in Brisbane, Australia, has been appointed the nation’s new envoy to Indonesia. Hung, who has led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of General Affairs since January 2021, is to replace John Chen (陳忠) at the Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Indonesia, a Cabinet announcement on Wednesday said. Chen, who has served as head of the office since December 2016, is believed to have filed for retirement and leave before the end of the year, sources close to the matter said. Hung previously held diplomatic positions in Grenada (2000-2002), Chicago (1996-2000) and Guam (2009-2012), and served as director-general of the Brisbane office from 2017 to 2021. He is a graduate of Tamkang University and received his master’s degree in Translation and Interpretation from Monterey Institute of International Studies in California.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
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