The Formosa Club, a cross-party alliance of European legislators established to strengthen ties with Taiwan, held its annual summit in Taipei this week to demonstrate solidarity with the nation.
“We are gathered as a representative of the Formosa Club, an international cross-party platform of legislators that was launched in 2019 to strengthen ties with Taiwan and uphold the shared values of democracy,” Rihards Kols, chair of the Formosa Club annual conference, said at a news conference in Taipei on Monday.
A Latvian politician who was elected a member of the European Parliament last year, Kols said that since its initiation, the Formosa Club has become a major international platform supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in international institutions such as the WHO and Interpol.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
The club also regularly issues statements condemning military provocations in the Taiwan Strait, and standing against disinformation, cyberthreats and economic coercion, he added.
“We recognize Taiwan not only as a partner, but as a trusted democratic ally,” he said.
Taiwan stands on the front line of defending democracy — its prosperity has direct implications “for global security, and for European economic stability, and for the credibility of the international rules-based order,” Kols said.
However, he said that there are “players who are determined to disrupt and change the international order by force.”
It is the world’s democracies’ duty and responsibility to stand united against such aggression, Kols said, calling on democracies to “strengthen the international rules-based order and enhance partnerships among democratic societies here in the Indo-Pacific.”
In welcoming the delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that this year’s gathering was particularly significant, as it marked the first time the Formosa Club’s annual conference had been held in Taipei.
“You [the Formosa Club] have shown that democratic solidarity knows no borders and that friendship rooted in shared values can withstand even the most intense external pressure,” Lin said in his address.
Taiwan would continue to serve as a driving force for global prosperity, as it plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries, he said.
“We are dedicated to increasing economic security and building resilient supply chains, in line with our broader vision of ensuring prosperity for our allies,” he added.
“As Europe seeks to diversify its relations and increase its autonomy, Taiwan stands ready as a reliable, trustworthy and innovative partner,” Lin said.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) also expressed gratitude for the Formosa Club’s long-standing support for Taiwan.
She thanked the club for its consistent advocacy for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, as well as for expressing concerns over China’s growing aggression and working tirelessly to strengthen relations between Taiwan and its member countries.
“The presence of Formosa Club members here today sends a clear message: Taiwan is not alone in this mission,” Hsiao said.
The Formosa Club was established in October 2019 through the joint initiative of the chairpersons of Taiwan friendship groups in the European Parliament and the national parliaments of the UK, Germany and France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The club’s annual conference this year, held on Monday and yesterday, was its second annual meeting, following the inaugural conference in Europe on May 24 last year.
A total of 45 parliamentarians from the European Parliament and 18 national parliaments across Europe attended this year’s event, the ministry said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
Taiwan next year plans to launch its first nationwide census on elderly people living independently to identify the estimated 700,000 seniors to strengthen community-based healthcare and long-term care services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on the sidelines of a healthcare seminar that the nation’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate have made the issue of elderly people living alone increasingly pressing. The survey, to be jointly conducted by the MOHW and the Ministry of the Interior, aims to establish baseline data and better allocate care resources, he
RSS