The Taipei 101 skyscraper was lit up last night to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Guatemala.
The building flashed a message in Mandarin Chinese that read: “Celebrating the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations” as well as the flags of Republic of China (ROC) and Guatemala, and a handshake.
The ceremony was organized by the Central America Trade Office and the Guatemalan embassy in Taiwan, with the building lit up from 6pm to 10pm yesterday.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Ceremony guests included Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Guatemalan Ambassador to Taiwan Luis Raul Estevez Lopez, Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Janet Chia (賈永婕), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Director Cheng Li-cheng (鄭力城) and Central America Trade Office Director Hsu Shao-hui (徐韶慧).
Mutual respect and benefits underlie the Taiwan-Guatemala partnership, as both sides share a vision and values of democratic society, rule of law and human rights, Estevez said in his address.
He also expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the Guatemalan government and its people for Taiwan’s continued support and cooperation with his country over the past nine decades.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
It is not always easy to keep fostering bilateral relations despite the reality, Estevez said, adding that he hoped that the ties between the nations could keep improving.
Lin said that Taiwan and Guatemala are solid allies, and the strong partnership manifests itself in mutual visits made by senior government officials from both sides over the past 11 months.
Taiwan and Guatemala share values such as freedom and democracy, and have been closely cooperating in terms of healthcare, economics, trade, talent nurturing and infrastructure development over the past few years, he said.
Lin also thanked the Guatemalan government for voicing support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
Taiwan values its diplomatic ties with Guatemala and would continue to deepen cooperation with the goal of contributing to regional stability, prosperity and development, he said.
The ROC and Guatemala established relations in 1934, when the ROC government was in China.
Guatemala is one of Taiwan’s two diplomatic allies in Central America — the other being Belize. They are among the 12 countries that have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of China.
Additional reporting by CNA
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
COORDINATION, ASSURANCE: Separately, representatives reintroduced a bill that asks the state department to review guidelines on how the US engages with Taiwan US senators on Tuesday introduced the Taiwan travel and tourism coordination act, which they said would bolster bilateral travel and cooperation. The bill, proposed by US senators Marsha Blackburn and Brian Schatz, seeks to establish “robust security screenings for those traveling to the US from Asia, open new markets for American industry, and strengthen the economic partnership between the US and Taiwan,” they said in a statement. “Travel and tourism play a crucial role in a nation’s economic security,” but Taiwan faces “pressure and coercion from the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]” in this sector, the statement said. As Taiwan is a “vital trading
RSS