President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Guatemala and the US for their support of Taiwan and said he looked forward to seeing enhanced trilateral trade ties.
In a social media post, Lai thanked Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "expressing firm support for the relationship shared by Taiwan, Guatemala and the US."
"Our continued joint efforts to bolster trade and investment pave the way for greater prosperity and stronger economic ties," Lai said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The comments came shortly after Rubio visited the Central American nation and met with Arévalo.
In response to a reporter's question on Wednesday, Arévalo, who assumed the role of Guatemalan president in January last year, reaffirmed his administration's commitment to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
"We maintain our diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and we hope to be able to ... further develop it in terms of economics and investment," the Guatemalan leader said at a joint news conference with Rubio following their meeting.
Guatemala is one of 12 countries maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Rubio said the US was dedicated to helping expand bilateral ties between Taiwan and Guatemala "beyond just the diplomatic realm to an economic one."
"We'll do all we can to facilitate more Taiwanese investment in the economy of Guatemala so that it can continue to grow into the advanced, prosperous [and] 21st-century economy," he added.
Rubio's visit to Guatemala is part of his first Latin American tour after he became the secretary of state on Jan. 25.
The tour from Feb. 1 to yesterday also included stops in Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
RSS