The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the legislature of the Netherlands after the Dutch House of Representatives passed two pro-Taiwan resolutions.
A resolution urging Amsterdam to use all possible means to enhance ties between Taiwan and the Netherlands and the EU passed the lower chamber of the Dutch Parliament with 129 yes votes and 21 no votes, the ministry said.
The resolution was jointly proposed by Dutch representatives Kees van der Staaij, who leads the Reformed Political Party, and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma of Democrats 66, who last month visited Taiwan as a member of a delegation from the Dutch Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, the ministry said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Europe should learn from the lesson of the Russia-Ukraine war by standing in solidarity with democracies and checking aggression from authoritarian states, the ministry quoted Sjoerdsma as saying.
Another resolution proposed by Dutch Representative Wybren van Haga, leader of the Belang van Nederland Party, which called on Amsterdam to extend support for Taiwan by all possible diplomatic means, passed with a 145-5 vote count, the ministry said.
Van Haga expressed concern over rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands via CNA
Taiwan and the Netherlands are partners with strong bilateral ties, and share the values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law, the ministry said.
Taiwan would continue to strengthen collaboration between the two nations on trade, the environment, health, technology and energy, including joint efforts to tackle challenges posed by international law enforcement, aviation safety and climate change, it said.
Taiwan has been and will remain a responsible member of the international community willing to work with like-minded countries, including the Netherlands, to promote freedom, stability and sustainable prosperity, it said.
Separately, Representative to the Netherlands Chen Hsin-hsin (陳欣新) thanked the Dutch lawmakers for passing the resolutions, “especially the friends of Taiwan who sponsored the bills.”
The Dutch House of Representatives has become increasingly critical of Beijing and friendly toward Taipei after China ramped up pressure on Taiwan, Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau BV news agency reported.
Last year, the legislative chamber said that China’s actions in Xinjiang amounted to “genocide against Uighurs.” This was despite the wishes of the Dutch government, which continues to refrain from using the phrase in connection with Beijing.
The Netherlands does not accept any continued escalation of regional tensions by Beijing or further acts of hostility directed against Taiwan, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra told lawmakers last week.
The House last year passed three resolutions that were supportive of Taiwan.
Last year’s resolutions urged the Dutch government to condemn any unilateral action taken by Beijing to change the cross-strait “status quo” and back Taiwan’s bid to return to Interpol, in addition to calling on the EU to support Lithuania in its decision to pursue ties with Taipei.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
RSS