Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) yesterday dismissed speculation that the Vatican planned to establish diplomatic ties with China as “reheated leftovers,” saying that the government remains confident in Taipei’s diplomatic relationship with the city-state, despite challenges.
“Regarding Radio France Internationale’s report yesterday [Sunday], the article is actually based on ‘reheated leftovers.’ Allow me to use four words to describe it: Run of the mill,” Lee said on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee yesterday.
Lee said more focus should be placed on the five-day Ninth Assembly of Chinese Catholic Representatives, which started yesterday in Beijing.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
“The new leadership lineup to be announced after the conclusion of the assembly will provide us with more insights,” he said.
The assembly is deemed to be the most authoritative meeting of China’s state-owned church.
According to local news media, the gathering is to bring together bishops recognized and not recognized by the Vatican, as well as those who are considered illegitimate.
Lee said that Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, whether stationed overseas or in Taiwan, have always remained highly vigilant in their determination to safeguard the nation’s relations with its diplomatic allies.
Asked about the condition of Taipei’s relationship with the Vatican, the country’s only European diplomatic ally, Lee said: “There are challenges, but we are confident.”
The minister was referring to a Chinese-language article published on Radio France Internationale’s Web site that said negotiations between the Vatican and Beijing about establishing diplomatic ties have reached the final stage.
During yesterday’s committee meeting, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) proposed a motion asking government agencies to use the title “Taiwan” as often as possible, or use the titles “Taiwan” and “Republic of China” in similar font sizes in government documents and treaties with non-diplomatic allies.
Wang said action needs to be taken to help the nation break the “one China” shackles, particularly after US president-elect Donald Trump called President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) “the president of Taiwan” and the publication of an article titled “Taipei’s name game — it’s time to let Taiwan be Taiwan” in US-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations’ journal Foreign Affairs this month.
The committee passed the motion after it was also backed by Wang’s DPP peers and New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐).
In other developments, the ministry last night issued a statement accusing China of manipulating the “one China” principle.
The “one China” principle mentioned in the communique signed yesterday between China and Sao Tome and Principe cannot deny the fact that the Republic of China is an independent, sovereign nation, the statement said.
The statement came as a response to China signing an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe earlier yesterday, just days after the small African nation announced it had cut ties with Taiwan.
Additional reporting by AFP and staff writer
‘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
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
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