The leaders of Haiti and Nauru on Thursday thanked Taiwan for its help in fighting COVID-19 and voiced general support for Taiwan on the third day of the general debate of the 75th UN General Assembly.
Five of the nation’s 15 diplomatic allies have so far spoken up on Taiwan’s behalf during the annual debate, which is to last until Tuesday.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise thanked all partner countries that have helped Haiti manage the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Photo: EPA-EFE
“It is time for the world to recognize Taiwan’s right to existence and give the country its rightful place in international forums, especially at the UN,” he said.
Nauruan President Lionel Aingimea expressed his appreciation to “genuine friends” for their valuable support in responding and containing pandemic.
As those friends, he named Taiwan, Australia, India, Japan, the US and New Zealand.
Aingimea said that the UN Charter was drafted based on the principles of universality and equality, and that it was not enough to proclaim the virtues of multilateralism if UN member states failed to strengthen their commitment to upholding the charter’s core principles.
“We therefore call on the United Nations to fulfill our commitments to the human family and ensure that the 23.5 million people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) enjoy the same rights as the peoples of other nations,” he said.
“While the world grapples with the COVID pandemic, the people of Taiwan must not be left behind, nor should its exemplary response to the global pandemic be ignored,” he said. “Taiwan is an important partner in the world’s response to this pandemic. More than ever today we need inclusivity and solidarity in responding to the global challenges.”
Both leaders addresses were pre-recorded.
None of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies spoke on the first day of the session, while four — Palau, Paraguay, the Marshall Islands and Honduras — spoke on the second day.
The leaders of Palau, Paraguay, and the Marshall Islands voiced their support for Taiwan in the speeches, while Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez did not mention Taiwan.
However, Honduras last month wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to express its support for Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Three more of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — the Vatican, Tuvalu and Eswatini — were slated to speak after press time last night.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS