Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Friday told the mayor of Ukraine’s capital that their democracies stand on “the front line of resisting” large authoritarian neighbors as Wu announced a donation of US$8 million to Kyiv and Ukrainian medical institutions.
Taiwan has condemned Russia’s invasion, joined Western-led sanctions and donated US$20 million for Ukrainian refugees, mostly raised from the public.
Speaking by videoconference to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Wu said that Taiwan and Ukraine were both democracies “on the front line of resisting the expansion of authoritarianism,” the ministry cited him as saying.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“The Taiwanese government and people also face a high threat from the authoritarian regime across the Taiwan Strait, and therefore feel the current situation faced by Ukraine as though it is happening to ourselves,” Wu said.
Taiwan has not previously announced talks between senior Taiwanese and Ukrainian officials.
Wu said that Taiwan would donate US$3 million to the Ukrainian capital and US$5 million to six Ukrainian medical institutions.
He also posted a picture on Twitter of himself talking to Klitschko, a former champion boxer, saying that the mayor’s “fighting spirit” was admirable.
“Champ, we’ll continue to stand with you & your people. Freedom will prevail!” Wu wrote.
Klitschko expressed his appreciation for the donation announced by Wu, and called the ongoing war a fight to safeguard democratic values and freedom, the ministry said.
A government campaign from March 2 to April 1 raised US$33 million in humanitarian aid as well as a large volume of supplies to help Ukraine.
Friday’s donation came from those funds.
Taiwan first sent 27 tonnes of medical supplies at the end of February for distribution by Poland to Ukrainian refugees in that country and Ukrainian citizens who remained in their home country.
Another 650 tonnes of supplies were donated last month by people in Taiwan.
Since late February, more than 5.13 million Ukrainians have fled their country because of the Russian invasion, UN High Commissioner for Refugees data show.
Additional reporting by CNA
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
RSS