In response to China’s insistence on recognition of “one China” as a precondition for entry into the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday reiterated the party’s stance on defending Taiwan’s sovereignty.
“This is an issue that crops up whenever we attempt to join any international organization or institution,” Tsai said in response to reporters’ requests for comments on China’s requirements for Taiwan’s participation in the AIIB. “We will find ways to maximize our national interests while defending our position when seeking to enter international organizations.”
Former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) expressed Taiwan’s interest in joining the proposed AIIB during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia in China’s Hainan Province on Saturday.
Later, during a news conference, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) said that China would welcome Taiwan’s participation in the AIIB, but that Taiwan must recognize the “one China” principle, adding that Taiwan and Hong Kong need to have further talks with China on the details — which many have taken as a hint that Taiwan would receive the same treatment as Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Tsai yesterday rejected the notion that a visit to the US by DPP Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳昭燮) was related to her own planned visit.
“Wu’s trip to the US was planned a long time ago. It is just a regular visit, since he was our former representative to the US,” Tsai said. “He will be exchanging views with the US on issues of mutual concern.”
As for her own trip to the US, Tsai said the party is still working out the details, including the exact date.
Separately yesterday, speaking at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before boarding a flight for the US in the afternoon, Wu echoed Tsai in saying that his trip was a routine visit to the US, adding that he would be meeting with Taiwanese expatriate communities to garner their support for the DPP, as well as some friends in the US.
He declined to be specific about who the friends are.
“I will be meeting with friends in the US — whether in US Congress or at think tanks — to exchange ideas on current issues,” Wu said. “However, in the interest of mutual trust, I am not at liberty to discuss who I meet with and what we talk about.”
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,
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