The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday applauded a pledge by the G7 to raise US$600 billion in public and private funds to finance infrastructure in developing nations to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The government would not shy away from working with like-minded countries, Deputy Director-General of European Affairs Lu Shih-fan (呂世凡) said.
US President Joe Biden announced the pledge at the G7 summit in Germany on Sunday.
Biden said that the US and other G7 members would only provide “limited funding,” but encouraged private entities to make large-scale investments.
A German think tank has suggested that the G7 expand its membership to include other democracies, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and rebrand itself as the G10+1, with Taiwan as the “plus one.”
The ministry said it respected the think tank’s suggestion.
The G7 has in the past few years been leaning toward inviting like-minded countries to attend its meetings, Lu said, citing as examples invitations extended last year to Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea.
The G7 has this year extended invitations to Argentina, India, Senegal and South Africa to attend its summit to demonstrate its inclusivity and willingness to work with like-minded countries to face global challenges, defend liberties and the democratic way of government.
Lu said the government applauded such measures and looked forward to following suit.
Commenting on the NATO summit to be held in Madrid today and tomorrow, Lu said a new strategic concept document is expected to be passed at the meeting.
Lu also said that non-NATO countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, have been invited to the summit for the first time.
The ministry also thanked the G7 for a communique it released that “underscores the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourages a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.”
This is the second consecutive year that the G7 has issued a statement of support for Taiwan, which is appreciated by the Taiwanese government and people, it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by