The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to give funding originally intended for the Solomon Islands and Kiribati to Taiwan’s remaining four Pacific allies, a diplomatic source said.
Taiwan cut diplomatic ties with the Solomon Islands and Kiribati on Monday and Friday, respectively, after the two countries switched allegiance to China.
Taiwan now has 15 diplomatic allies.
Photo: EPA-EFE/Ritchie B. Tongo
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, last week said that the ministry had sent its budget proposal for next year to the Legislative Yuan in late August and is awaiting lawmakers’ approval.
Asked about the budget originally earmarked for the two countries, the source said the money is expected to be used to solidify ties with Taiwan’s remaining Pacific allies, but did not disclose the exact amount to be reallocated.
Taiwan still has four Pacific allies: the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu.
Nauru and Tuvalu have just elected new political leaders, while Palau and the Marshall Islands are soon to hold general elections, the source said.
A major shift in power could affect their relationship with Taiwan, the source said, adding that the ministry needs all the resources it has to solidify ties with the four.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Friday said that ties with the remaining Pacific allies are very close and he sees no reason to worry.
The ministry’s budget proposal for next year stands at NT$28.2 billion (US$910 million), a NT$2.2 billion increase from a year earlier.
The increase is mainly to be used for foreign aid projects in response to Beijing’s campaign to lure Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, the ministry said.
The budget is to be used to provide assistance to diplomatic allies through bilateral cooperation projects that boost construction of infrastructure, and education and training programs, it said.
Taiwan has lost seven diplomatic allies to China since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) assumed office in May 2016.
Beijing has taken a hardline stance on cross-strait relations since Tsai refused to accept the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
However, Beijing has never publicly recognized the second part of the consensus.
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
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official