The US encourages Guyana and Taiwan to advance their partnership and more countries to expand “unofficial ties” with Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday.
The statement came after Guyana reneged on an agreement made with Taiwan on Jan. 11 to establish a Taiwan office in the South American country, citing its adherence to the “one China” policy and “miscommunication” over the signed agreement.
The AIT had applauded the agreement, but was silent after the deal’s termination, until yesterday.
“The United States encourages Guyana and Taiwan to continue building on their strong partnership. Our support for Taiwan is rock solid,” AIT spokeswoman Amanda Mansour said in the statement.
“Taiwan is a friend that benefits the world through partnerships that advance security, democratic values and prosperity based on mutual respect and transparency. We encourage more countries to deepen unofficial ties with Taiwan,” she said.
“Taiwan is a leading democracy, a vibrant economic partner, a technology powerhouse and a shining example of how an open society can effectively contain COVID-19. The United States looks forward to working closely with Taiwan in the region to strengthen democracy and economic growth,” she said.
The US embassy in Guyana has not commented since it applauded the agreement to have a Taiwan office in Guyana.
Before terminating the deal, the Guyanese government issued a statement saying that China had earmarked 20,000 vaccines for Guyana, along with a photograph showing Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd meeting with Chinese Charge d’Affaires to Guyana Chen Xilai (陳錫來).
“China has made significant contributions to Guyana’s development since the establishment of diplomatic relations on June 27, 1972. This is evident from several programs, including the attachment of Chinese doctors to the nation’s hospitals as well as the implementation of a number of major infrastructural projects,” the statement read.
“This donation [of vaccines] is another tangible demonstration of the importance of the bilateral relationship between Guyana and China,” it read.
After the deal was terminated, Todd told The Associated Press on Friday that the government had initially not seen anything wrong in allowing Taiwan to set up an office to push trade and investment in Guyana, which has in the past 14 months become one of the world’s newest nations to export oil.
“For us this was just a market opportunity for the two private sectors to conduct business, but there are some geopolitics involved here,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
Additional reporting by AP
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS