Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Tuesday praised President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration speech as “impressive” and “forward-looking,” and pledged to work with the new government to boost bilateral ties.
In an interview with the Central News Agency, Gonsalves, who attended Lai’s inauguration, said that after reading the English translation of the speech, he had a clear picture of the new president’s vision.
“It is an impressive speech in which he outlined what are the challenges he sees within the domestic political economy of Taiwan and what are his priorities in addressing those challenges,” the Vincentian leader said. “It was a very forward-looking speech in terms of the changes he wants to see here.”
Photo: CNA.
Gonsalves pointed specifically to Lai’s desire to build a green economy, and a Taiwan that is “smart and sustainable.”
He also praised Lai for emphasizing regional alliances as a framework for security and his “clear view” of China, which the prime minister said was “realistic” and “without hostility.”
Lai said in his speech that Taiwan would continue to engage with democratic countries as it works to bolster its defense capabilities under his “four pillar plan” for peace.
He called on China to cease its political and military intimidation of its neighbor and share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region.
Regarding his interactions with Lai, Gonsalves said the president is “a man with his feet on the ground politically,” even though he has been in politics for a long time.
The prime minister said he spent about an hour and a half with Lai on Tuesday, during which he had “good discussion and rapport.”
Gonsalves called Lai “my friend,” and described him as easy to talk to.
“From the standpoint of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we will build upon the work with the previous president [Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)] and with [former minister of foreign affairs] Joseph [Wu (吳釗燮)] ... we will deepen, I’m sure, our existing very strong relations,” Gonsalves said.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of China (ROC) established diplomatic relations on Aug. 15, 1981. Over the past eight years, 10 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have switched recognition to Beijing.
Asked why his country has stuck with Taiwan for more than 43 years, Gonsalves said that relations with Taipei are “on the basis of a common set of values, interests.”
Beijing representatives have visited him, but he does not agree with their viewpoint, he said.
“I will say: ‘Look, you can’t tell me that in order to have relations with you, I must cease having relations with another entity. I say you can, if tomorrow you drop your objection, we can have relations,’” he said.
“And then, purely at a personal level, I grew up in a family, I grew up in circumstances where loyalty and friendship count for something. If you’re my friend, if you have a friendship going back a long time, you can come to me with your friendship,” he said.
Gonsalves is the longest continuously serving head of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since the nation gained independence in 1979. He first became prime minister after his party won a majority in the 2001 general election. He has visited Taiwan 12 times, most recently in 2022.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS