US nominee for ambassador to the UN Elise Stefanik, who is currently a member of the House of Representatives, has pledged to work toward Taiwan’s maximum meaningful participation in international organizations.
“I am committed to making sure that Taiwan has the most maximum meaningful participation within the UN system, as it should in all international organizations,” Stefanik said during a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday.
Stefanik made the comment in response to questions about how she would address China’s growing influence within the world body and its blocking of Taiwan’s participation in the UN system if confirmed as ambassador.
Photo: CNA
The Republican congresswoman also emphasized her support for Taiwan, mentioning in particular voting in Congress in favor of defense aid to strengthen Taiwan’s deterrence capabilities.
As for countering China, Stefanik underlined the need to work closely with US allies and partners to ensure “we’re running candidates, either American or allied nations, in the elections process for key leadership posts within the UN system.”
“We have to be vigilant both in the long-term and the short-term to make sure that China is not able to make significant inroads ... in international organizations,” Stefanik added.
In addition, the envoy-designate said the US should keep a close eye on all the documents and statements released in Chinese by the UN, arguing Beijing has tried to insert “specific language [in those documents] which is counter to our values.”
Stefanik, a Republican representative since 2015, has been very critical of China and is an ally of US President Donald Trump.
She is currently a senior member of the House Committee on Armed Services and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,