Taiwan is grateful for the longstanding support St Kitts and Nevis has given Taiwan in its bid to participate in various international organizations, President Chen Shui-bian (
The embassy, located in Tianmu, is the Caribbean country's first and only in Asia. It is also the first embassy to be opened by an ally of Taiwan in the Caribbean.
At the ceremony, Douglas said the establishment of the embassy, was a "historical milestone" that highlights the strong friendship between the government of Taiwan and his country.
PHOTO: PATRICK LIN, AFP
He said that Taiwan had been the first country to forge diplomatic relations with St Christopher and Nevis when it declared independence from Great Britain in 1983.
Over the past 25 years, Douglas said, the two island nations had shared "steady and constructive solidarity," adding that Taiwanese and the government of Taiwan can depend on the Kittitian government for support on matters that are important to Taiwan.
Referring to Taiwan-St Kitts relations as a "meaningful symbiosis," Douglas said Taiwan has also been a solid and supportive friend of the Caribbean country by providing assistance in technical and agricultural training, medical missions and other areas.
Foreign Minister James Huang (黃志芳) congratulated Douglas on his country's first in Asia, saying the embassy would serve as a "bridge strengthening the friendship between the two countries."
Huang also thanked Douglas for remaining a staunch supporter of Taiwan internationally.
"The government of Taiwan appreciates and admires Prime Minister Douglas' courage to protect justice in the world and for his resolve to stand up against powerful countries," Huang said.
The new embassy will also serve as a consular office, where Taiwanese can obtain information on investment and tourism in the Caribbean country.
Taiwanese passport holders can also travel to St Christopher under the visa-free program.
In related news, Huang yesterday appointed R.C. Wu (吳榮泉), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta in the US since 2003, as new ambassador to St Kitts and Nevis.
Wu will replace John Liu (劉振崑), who has served as ambassador in Basseterre for six years, Huang said.
Prior to his assignment in Atlanta, in the 1990s Wu served at the nation's representative offices in Poland and the Dominican Republic, Huang said, adding he was confident Wu would help cement the 25-year relations between Taipei and Basseterre.
Additional reporting by CNA
INFRASTRUCTURE: Work on the second segment, from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2039, the railway bureau said Planned high-speed rail (HSR) extensions would blanket Taiwan proper in four 90-minute commute blocs to facilitate regional economic and livelihood integration, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said in an interview published yesterday. A project to extend the high-speed rail from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝) is the first part of the bureau’s greater plan to expand rail coverage, he told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). The bureau’s long-term plan is to build a loop to circle Taiwan proper that would consist of four sections running from Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to
The Civil Aviation Administration yesterday said that it is considering punishments for China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines for making hard landings and overworking their cabin crew when the nation was hit by Typhoon Kong-rey in October last year. The civil aviation authority launched an investigation after media reported that many airlines were forced to divert their flights to different airports or go around after failing to land when the typhoon affected the nation on Oct. 30 and 31 last year. The agency reviewed 503 flights dispatched by Taiwanese airlines during those two days, as well as weather data, flight hours
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
Three people have had their citizenship revoked after authorities confirmed that they hold Chinese ID cards, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday. Two of the three people were featured in a recent video about Beijing’s “united front” tactics by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) and Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源), including Su Shi-en (蘇士恩), who displayed a Chinese ID card in the video, and taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲), who mentioned he had obtained a Chinese ID card in a telephone call with Chen, Liang told the council’s weekly news conference. Lee, who reportedly worked in
RSS