Staff Writer, with CNA
Nicaraguan Ambassador to Taiwan William Tapia said yesterday that his country would continue to be Taipei’s staunchest supporter in its bid to participate in the UN, an issue that Taiwanese authorities hope will be put on the agenda of the UN General Assembly today.
“The atmosphere is different this year and Nicaragua has been very supportive of Taiwan’s UN bid,” Tapia said at a function celebrating the 187th anniversary of the independence of Central America.
Honduran Ambassador Marlene Villela-Talbott, Guatemalan Ambassador Ivan Espinoza Farfan and Salvadoran Ambassador Francisco Ricardo Santana Berrios also attended the event.
MODERATE
Tapia was referring to Taiwan’s more moderate bid this year for UN participation under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) diplomatic strategy of “modus vivendi” centering on a “diplomatic truce” with China.
By asking the UN General Assembly to consider the feasibility of Taiwan’s participation in UN specialized agencies rather then seeking full membership, the bid marks a new approach by making no attempt to seek entry to the UN under the name “Taiwan” or returning to the UN under the name Republic of China (ROC).
Tapia, who assumed the post as Nicaraguan ambassador in January, said that the situation this year was also different because three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — Nicaragua, the Solomon Islands and Honduras — are members of the UN General Affairs Committee, the highest number of Taiwanese allies that have been on the committee since 1993.
CHINA
However, he admitted that China still plays a key role in the issue, saying “it all depends on China.”
Commenting on Taiwan’s UN bid, a senior diplomatic official told the Central News Agency earlier yesterday that even though Ma’s proposal was clearly different from past strategy, some countries would still look at the issue based on China’s attitude.
Taiwan has not been a member of the UN since 1971, when the People’s Republic of China took the China seat from the ROC. Over the past 15 years, Taiwan has failed to get the UN General Assembly to list the issue of Taiwan’s membership on the UN agenda because of Beijing’s opposition.
The General Affairs Committee, comprising delegates from 28 nations, will make a decision tomorrow pertaining to the agenda for the next General Assembly.
Asked whether Nicaragua is concerned about improved relations between Taiwan and China under Ma’s “diplomatic truce” approach, Tapia said the Nicaraguan government found Ma’s approach to be “very good” and he expressed confidence in the solid bilateral relations between Nicaragua and Taiwan.
In a meeting during Ma’s recent state visit to South America and the Caribbean, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya asked Ma how Taiwan’s allies should react to improving relations between Taiwan and China.
Ma reiterated his idea of a “diplomatic truce” with Beijing, but vowed that nothing would change Taiwan’s longstanding friendships with its allies. He said Taiwan would use all its energy and resources to consolidate relations with its allies.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
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
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
RSS