Although Beijing has softened its tone in its opposition to Taiwan’s UN bid this year, the change still does not represent a “goodwill gesture” on its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
This year, rather than seeking a seat in the global body, Taiwan is only requesting “meaningful participation” in UN agencies.
Sticking to Beijing’s usual rhetoric, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya (王光亞) said in a letter to the UN Secretariat Office last month that Taiwan does not qualify for separate representation because it is part of China.
“This is not a goodwill gesture on Beijing’s part. The standard answer by the Chinese is not helpful to cross-strait developments,” said Paul Chang (章文樑), head of the ministry’s Department of International Organizations.
Chang said that in his letter, Wang argued that Taiwan and China should shelve their differences and seek common interests.
“If that is the case, then the language [in the letter] should reflect such a position,” Chang said.
To date, the US, the EU and Japan have not taken an official position on Taiwan’s bid this year, but the ministry said the US approves of the move.
Several of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, including Paraguay, Panama and the Dominican Republic, which President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited last month, have decided against supporting Taiwan’s UN bid because of “special circumstances,” the ministry said.
“We understand and respect those circumstances,” Chang said to dispel fears that the nation’s relations with diplomatic allies are crumbling.
In related news, Chang said yesterday that Taiwan would be taking a more active role in APEC, such as hosting the first-ever Workshop on Large-Scale Disaster Recovery in Taipei from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28, where experts will share experiences in disaster relief efforts.
More than 80 participants from 11 member-economies, including Australia, Singapore, China and New Zealand, are expected to attend the meeting.
Chang said that following a two-day indoor symposium, participants would head for Nantou County, which suffered extensive damage in the 921 Earthquake in 1999, to assess reconstruction efforts.
The meeting will conclude in China, with participants visiting Sichuan Province to assess post-disaster management following the devastating earthquake in May.
Taipei will host the APEC Photovoltaic Conference next month.
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
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