Any attempt to change Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or coercion cannot bring true peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said in a letter to Pope Leo XIV released by the Presidential Office yesterday.
The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and the only one in Europe, though the Vatican has worked to improve relations with Beijing, including the appointment of Catholic bishops.
Writing to Leo in response to his Jan. 1 World Day of Peace message, Lai said he had repeatedly emphasized that democracy, peace and prosperity are Taiwan’s path forward and the country’s link with the world.
Photo: CNA
“Today, Taiwan — situated at the strategic position of the first island chain — plays a pivotal role in shaping global geopolitical developments,” he said.
“Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are crucial to the safety and well-being of people and form an essential cornerstone of global security and prosperity. I have repeatedly emphasized that democracy, peace and prosperity are Taiwan’s national path and the basis of Taiwan’s connection with the world.”
In the face of long-term military coercion and political
intimidation from “authoritarian states in the region,” Taiwan has always chosen to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait through concrete actions, Lai said, without directly naming China.
“I firmly believe that any attempt to change Taiwan’s status quo through force or coercion cannot bring true peace,” he said.
China’s military operates near Taiwan on a daily basis in what the government says is an ongoing pressure and harassment campaign. China held its latest war games near the nation last month.
China refuses to talk to Lai, saying that he is a dangerous separatist.
In his letter, Lai also called out efforts to distort World War II treaties and the interpretation of a 1971 UN resolution, which led to Taipei losing the China seat at the global body to Beijing “in order to downgrade our sovereign status.”
Beijing says WWII documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the 1971 UN resolution give international legal backing to its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
The government in Taipei denies these claims, saying the UN resolution makes no mention of Taiwan, and that the People’s Republic of China did not exist until the end of WWII.
Additional reporting by staff writer
A total lunar eclipse coinciding with the Lantern Festival on March 3 would be Taiwan’s most notable celestial event this year, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said, urging skywatchers not to miss it. There would be four eclipses worldwide this year — two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses — the museum’s Web site says. Taiwan would be able to observe one of the lunar eclipses in its entirety on March 3. The eclipse would be visible as the moon rises at 5:50pm, already partly shaded by the Earth’s shadow, the museum said. It would peak at about 7:30pm, when the moon would
A New York-based NGO has launched a global initiative to rename the nation’s overseas missions, most of which operate under the name "Taipei," to "Taiwan Representative Office (TRO)," according to a news release. Ming Chiang (江明信), CEO of Hello Taiwan, announced the campaign at a news conference in Berlin on Monday, coinciding with the World Forum held from Monday through Wednesday, the institution stated in the release. Speaking at the event, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said she believed this renaming campaign would enable the international community to see Taiwan
DEFENSE: The US should cancel the US visas or green cards of relatives of KMT and TPP lawmakers who have been blocking the budget, Grant Newsham said A retired US Marine Corps officer has suggested canceling the US green cards and visas of relatives of opposition Taiwanese lawmakers who have been stalling the review of a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget. The Executive Yuan has proposed the budget for major weapons purchases over eight years, from this year to 2033. However, opposition lawmakers have refused to review the proposal, demanding that President William Lai (賴清德) first appear before the Legislative Yuan to answer questions about the proposed budget. On Thursday last week, 37 bipartisan US lawmakers sent a letter to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the heads
TOO DANGEROUS: The families agreed to suspend crewed recovery efforts that could put rescuers in danger from volcanic gases and unstable terrain The bodies of two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot have been located inside a volcanic crater, Japanese authorities said yesterday, nearly a month after a sightseeing helicopter crashed during a flight over southwestern Japan. Drone footage taken at the site showed three bodies near the wreckage of the aircraft inside a crater on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, police and fire officials said. The helicopter went missing on Jan. 20 and was later found on a steep slope inside the Nakadake No. 1 Crater, about 50m below the rim. Authorities said that conditions at the site made survival highly unlikely, and ruled
RSS