President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday received outgoing Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Jasmine Huggins, thanking her for her outstanding contributions toward deepening relations between the two allies.
Tsai praised Huggins as an experienced diplomat, saying her 12 years as her country’s envoy to Taiwan, after serving two years in the US, made her the longest-serving ambassador stationed in Taipei.
Huggins is very familiar with Taiwan’s situation, Tsai said, adding that Taiwanese are sad to see her go.
Photo: CNA
Huggins has worked toward deepening the relations between the countries since 2010, attending many cultural events — including lantern festivals and Caribbean food shows, she said.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis envoy also participated in other events, such as an International Women’s Day banquet hosted by Huggins and Australian Representative to Taiwan Jenny Bloomfield, and the Women’s Power Night event in March, where she made the “impressive” opening remarks, Tsai said.
Huggins’ involvement in local affairs, such as throwing the first pitch for many professional baseball games, has created more opportunities for people from the two countries to interact, she said.
Tsai said Huggins’ efforts have led to an even stronger friendship between the two countries and served as an inspiration for all women seeking to participate in public affairs and politics.
Huggins and the Saint Kitts and Nevis government has tirelessly supported Taiwan’s sovereignty on the international stage, especially at times when the nation’s efforts are unjustly challenged by authoritarian forces, Tsai said.
“Democratic countries must demonstrate stronger unity and solidarity with each other,” she said, thanking the envoy for her efforts in this field.
Tsai said the two countries would continue to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration on the solid foundation that Huggins has built.
Huggins thanked Tsai and Taiwanese for their assistance to her country.
Taiwan has always supported Saint Kitts and Nevis since it gained independence in 1983, and has been a willing and capable partner and a good friend, Huggins said.
The two countries uphold democracy and rule of law, and respect the dignity of every individual, she said, adding that these shared values are a strong foundation on which their friendship is built and can be further solidified.
Huggins said she hopes the friendship based on shared values between Saint Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan would continue after she leaves office.
Unlike most countries, Taiwan cannot use its country’s own name to compete in the Olympic Games or other major international sports events. Instead, it participates under the name “Chinese Taipei,” a name that causes confusion and sparks curiosity among many people, including an American director who explored the topic in his new documentary. Garret Clarke, the director of the 20-minute documentary What’s in a Name? A Chinese Taipei Story, said in an recent media interview said that he was motivated to make the documentary because he finds the name “Chinese Taipei” to be “weird.” The dispute that eventually created the name dates back
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to
The trailer of a new TV series portraying a Chinese attack on Taiwan has prompted a wave of emotional response and discussion in the nation. The teaser for Zero Day (零日攻擊), a Taiwanese production partly funded by the government and is expected to air next year, has given many viewers a sense of urgency. Its release this week coincided with annual air raid drills to prepare the nation’s 23 million residents in the event of an invasion by the Chinese military. “I burst into tears watching this. I feel heavy-hearted, and it is scary. However, this is what we need to face
CASUALTIES: The typhoon has left seven people dead, run cargo ships aground and caused landslides that have severed roads and left people stranded, officials said Typhoon Gaemi, which made landfall in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳) on Thursday, has left seven dead, one missing and 785 injured since Wednesday, the Central Emergency Operations Center said. The casualties announced by the center as of 2pm yesterday included two men who died in separate incidents, a 65-year-old in Tainan and a 75-year-old in Yunlin County. The man in Tainan was taken to hospital after he had fallen doing home repair work, while the man in Yunlin, who was driving a scooter on his way home, was taken to hospital after he was hit by falling tree branches and crashed,