The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday expressed regret that Chad had switched diplomatic ties to Beijing.
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (
"The Chadian government has long been troubled by internal security unrest caused by the rebels. And yet, China has contributed to this problem by providing armed support to the rebel groups which were supporting [the violence in Darfur] Sudan," Huang said yesterday.
Taiwan decided to sever diplomatic ties with Chad late on Saturday evening after the central African country recognized China.
The announcement was made less than 24 hours before Premier Su Tseng-chang's (
Huang said that the government had intercepted intelligence indicating that the Chadian foreign minister flew to Beijing two days ago, and the government responded by calling off Su's trip to Chad.
In a letter dated Aug. 6 that Deby wrote to Chen, the Chadian president explained that because of the seriousness of the civil unrest caused by the rebels, he had to make compromises with the Chinese government "for the survival" of Chad.
Huang said that since early this year the government had noticed a number of signs indicating unusual interactions between Chadian and Chinese officials.
Huang said that during a recent UN meeting concerning the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the Chadian foreign minister held a secret meeting with China's permanent representative to the UN, Wang Guangya (
The Chadian foreign minister also went to Paris last Thursday to meet with Chinese officials and flew to Beijing on Saturday, he said.
Huang also said yesterday that Senegal, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in October last year, "played a negative role" in influencing Chad as Senegal's president is chairing a meeting soon between the Chadian and Sudanese presidents in Dakar, Senegal's capital, about the possible restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Huang noted that since early this year, the government had been cautious about Chad's wavering loyalties and had personally paid two visits in April and July this year to the African country to secure and strengthen diplomatic relations.
To this end, President Chen made a telephone call to Deby on July 27 to offer his congratulations on his upcoming presidential inauguration, and Deby responded by saying that he welcomed Su's visit as an envoy on behalf of Chen.
"This [lying to Taiwan] was extremely unfriendly behavior by Chad," Huang said.
The foreign minister also apologized for failing to secure ties with Chad and condemned Beijing's two-handed strategy of squeezing Taiwan's international space while trying to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese.
Huang said Taiwan will only become more resilient against China's international oppression and warned that Beijing's stifling of Taiwan's international space would harm cross-strait relations.
"China's suppression of Taiwan has only worsened," Huang said. "But as the Communists say, where there is oppression, there is resistance. Taiwan will never succumb to Chinese oppression and surrender its freedom and democracy."
also see stories:
KMT slams government in wake of Chad fiasco
DPP decries China's diplomatic oppression
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that the Chinese Communist Party was planning and implementing “major” reforms, ahead of a political conclave that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda. Chinese policymakers have struggled to reignite growth since late 2022, when restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. The world’s second-largest economy is beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high unemployment among young people. Policymakers “are planning and implementing major measures to further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner,” Xi said in a speech at the Great Hall
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
WARNING: China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after its new regulation took effect last month, an official said, citing an incident in the Diaoyutai Islands The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday linked China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to Beijing’s new regulation authorizing the China Coast Guard to seize boats in waters it claims. Chinese officials boarded and then seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel operating near China’s coast close to Kinmen County late on Tuesday and took it to a Chinese port, the CGA said. The Penghu-registered squid fishing vessel Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88) was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣), 17.5 nautical miles (32.4km) from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Kinmen,
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military