The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that the government is keeping close contact with Taiwanese students in Norway who are raising funds to sue the Norwegian government after it labeled them as being from China.
According to a Facebook page created by the students, the Norwegian government changed their residency cards to read “Kina/Taiwan.” Kina is the Norwegian word for China.
Despite protesting to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration and lawmakers, the students did not receive a positive response.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
In March last year, they filed a petition with immigration authorities, saying that the government’s disrespect of the Taiwanese people’s identity has contravened its own constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“However, the Norwegian government repeatedly delayed the process and then dismissed our petition on the grounds that ‘such designation does not affect the interested party’s rights and obligations in Norway,’” they said.
The group on Wednesday last week launched an online crowdfunding campaign to raise money to take the case to court in Norway, which they said would be costly and could take three to four years.
As of press time last night, the group had raised about NT$1.36 million (US$44,407), more than their first-phase target of NT$1.22 million. Their ultimate goal is NT$4.88 million.
“In the face of China’s overwhelming pressure, this is the first giant step toward Taiwanese people’s awakening. If you care about Taiwan’s national subjectivity and are willing to fight for Taiwan against the many injustices it suffers in the international arena, you are welcome to join us,” the group said on the crowdfunding site.
Ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) told local media that the ministry has been talking with the Norwegian government over the issue via its representative office in Sweden and is urging it to amend the name as soon as possible.
Taiwan’s representative office in Norway was closed in September last year as part of the ministry’s ongoing plan to streamline its structure. The office in Sweden is responsible for affairs in Norway.
The ministry has also continued to keep close contact with the students and would offer all necessary assistance, Lee said.
The group leader said they are aware of Taipei’s stance.
Lee also expressed the ministry’s appreciation for the group’s efforts to file a lawsuit.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS