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.
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS