The government officially recognizes Kosovo and seeks to establish relations with all freedom-loving countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said yesterday.
The announcement came one day after China condemned Taiwan for congratulating Kosovo on its newfound statehood, saying Taiwan does not have the right to "recognize" Kosovo.
Huang denied that yesterday's announcement was a reaction to Beijing's criticism.
"China's opposition did not come into our consideration. As a sovereign nation, Taiwan has the right to do whatever it believes is correct and just," he said.
Huang said that Taiwan is interested in establishing friendships and forging diplomatic ties with all countries that uphold the values of freedom and democracy.
He said Taiwan had made contact with Kosovar media and officials on several occasions over the past two years.
"We look forward to further contact with Kosovo in the future," he said, adding that Taiwan would provide aid to Kosovo if required.
He said Taiwan had planned to recognize Kosovo since its declaration of independence, but had waited for major countries to make their stance clear. Had Taiwan not made its announcement yesterday, it might have appeared that Taipei was cowed by Beijing, he said.
In announcing the US' recognition on Monday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cautioned that Kosovo was a "special case" and "cannot be seen as a precedent for any other situation in the world today."
When asked if Rice was talking about Taiwan, Huang said "every country is a special case."
President Chen Shui-bian (
In a speech to the foreign ministry's spring dinner for the Taipei diplomatic corps at the Grand Hotel, Chen urged all democracies to work together in unity and support all groups seeking democratic progression.
Additional reporting by staff writer, with CNA
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS