The leaders of three diplomatic allies — Guatemala, Paraguay and Palau — on Tuesday voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN on the first day of the UN General Debate in New York.
In his address during the 78th UN General Assembly, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr urged the UN and all parties involved in cross-strait issues to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful resolution.
“The well-being and prosperity of nations and their economies are intrinsically linked to global peace and stability,” he said.
Photo: AP
He also thanked partner nations such as Taiwan, Australia, Japan and the US for providing assistance and training opportunities to help Palauans upskill.
“We also advocate for change regarding the Republic of China, Taiwan, being unjustly excluded from UN systems, despite its remarkable leadership and innovative solutions,” he said, adding that the global organization should allow Taiwan to participate in crucially important agencies, because it has much to offer.
Citing the UN Charter, which affirms the equal rights of all people and nations, Whipps called on the UN to uphold that vision by allowing Taiwan to participate and contribute.
Photo: Reuters
Outgoing Guatemalan President Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei made a similar plea during his address.
He said that the UN should recognize the importance of “inclusivity and universality.”
“How can it be that in the 21st century, this organization has excluded a country like Taiwan? A country that contributes to science, technology, health and development; but yet we exclude its citizens from having a voice in this forum,” he said.
He urged the UN “to exhaust all measures that are necessary to guarantee international peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.”
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena, who assumed the presidency last month, expressed his government’s support of Taiwan as “an integral part of the United Nations system.”
Also on Tuesday, Czech President Petr Pavel, who is making his first appearance at the UN General Assembly since assuming office in March, criticized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for its military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait.
“We deplore China’s military actions which have raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait, as well as its unfriendly action against partners in the South China Sea. Any disputes or contentious issues must be solved peacefully. Any potential armed conflict in the region would have negative consequences on the whole world,” Pavel said.
It marks the second consecutive year a government representative from the Czech Republic has raised such concerns at the UN General Assembly.
Last year, a plea for cross-strait peace was made by Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky.
The leaders of two more diplomatic allies, Eswatini and the Marshall Islands, were scheduled to make their addresses at the General Debate yesterday.
Taipei previously said that it had asked its 13 diplomatic allies, as well as like-minded nations, to voice support for its inclusion in the UN system, either by speaking up during the General Assembly or sending a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Several side events have also been launched by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York and a delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers visited the city to advocate for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN.
Taiwan left the UN in 1971 and it has since been excluded from its special agencies.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
TECH CORRIDOR: Technology centers and science parks in the south would be linked, bolstering the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a “Southern Silicon Valley” project to promote the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industry in Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. The plan would build an integrated “S-shaped semiconductor industry corridor” that links technology centers and science parks in the south, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday after a Cabinet meeting. The project would bolster the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries, she said. The proposed tech corridor would be supported by government efforts to furnish computing power, workforce, supply chains and policy measures that encourage application and integration
RSS