While Taiwan’s ties with all 12 countries it has official diplomatic relations with are relatively stable, “extra attention” needs to be paid to Haiti and the Vatican, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
During an interview with an online political talk show on Sunday, Lin said that Haiti has been rocked by gang violence and social unrest since former Haitian president Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021.
However, Lin said that Taiwan continues to stand with Haiti and was one of the last nations to close its embassy during the unrest.
Photo: Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has placed high importance on Latin America and the Caribbean since taking office, he said.
“So I believe Taiwan and the US can work together in this regard,” he added.
Lin said the Holy See has been pushing for closer relations with China during Pope Francis’ tenure.
The Holy See is the only sovereign European entity that has official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC), the official name of Taiwan.
Relations were established in 1942 when the ROC government was based in the Chinese city of Chongqing.
In 2018, Beijing and the Vatican struck a deal to work together on appointing Chinese bishops, which was renewed for the third time in October last year.
However, Beijing has repeatedly contravened the agreement by unilaterally appointing bishops.
In an interview with the monthly magazine America, which was published on Feb. 28, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, said the Holy See remains committed to dialogue with China on the appointment of bishops in China.
“We believe that it is a process of continuing this dialogue, working on these questions of the appointment of bishops, trying to make this agreement work better, and slowly, hopefully, by doing so, building up a sense of trust and understanding between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China [PRC],” he said.
In response to Gallagher’s comments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that it continues to closely monitor the ongoing dialogue between the PRC and the Holy See.
The ministry said it understands that the Vatican hopes to improve the plight of Chinese Catholics via dialogue with the PRC.
Taiwan would continue to work with the Holy See and the Catholic Church to enhance humanitarian cooperation and jointly safeguard the core value of religious freedom and in so doing, enhance bilateral ties, the ministry added.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS