Singapore and New Zealand made the unprecedented move of publicly commending Taiwan for its efforts to alleviate cross-strait tensions during the UN General Assembly debate on Monday, saying stability in the Taiwan Strait was crucial to the harmony in the Asian region, a Central News Agency (CNA) report said yesterday.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also penned a letter for the first time on behalf of Prime Minister Gordon Brown to the British-Taiwan All Party Parliamentary Group, stating London’s support for Taiwan’s participation in “specialized multilateral groups” such as the WHO.
“In particular, we strongly support the principle enshrined in the WHO Constitution that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. It is important therefore that Taiwan should be able to interact effectively with the WHO, not just to protect the interests of its own population but also to ensure the integrity of the global health safety net,” the letter said.
“We welcome the fact that ... Taiwan decided to adopt a more pragmatic approach towards the issue of UN participation ... We believe that the ongoing dialogue between China and Taiwan represents an opportunity to make progress on international representation and wider practical confidence building measures,” it said.
The letter was sent to Sir Nicholas Winterton, the chairman of the group.
“We highly approve and welcome supports from our friends,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said yesterday.
The positive feedback, Chen said, shows that the international community — including a public statement from the US and EU — approves of Taiwan’s pragmatic approach to the issue.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
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