Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) expressed Taiwan’s firm support for Ukrainians in their fight to defend freedom and democracy while welcoming the Ukrainian National Folk Dance Ensemble on their first tour in Taiwan.
“Since Russia’s invasion, it has been more than two years of war in Ukraine. In Taiwan, we have high respect for the courage and resilience shown by the people of Ukraine,” Lin said.
“Taiwan and Ukraine are facing a powerful authoritarian country next door, with constant threat of mounting hostile military invasion,” he said in a news release.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“So far Taiwan had sent much needed materials, medical supplies and other forms of aid, while also taking up a spirit of solidarity in support of Ukrainians’ courage and determination to defend their homeland and freedom,” Lin added.
Lin on Wednesday received the members of the ensemble, led by choreographer Galyna Vantukh, Taiwan Soka Association and its director, Lin Chao (林釗), and Min-On Concert Association of Japan officials, and gave them a tour of the ministry.
Since the Russian invasion began, Taiwanese have donated more than NT$930 million (US$28.91 million) for financial aid to Ukraine and the ministry last year contributed US$1.9 million to establish a medical burns center in Ukraine, Lin Chia-lung said.
He also lauded a number of civil society organizations, including the Taiwan Christian Medical Association and the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, for heading to Eastern Europe to provide assistance and relief work for Ukrainian refugees.
Donation drives from last year to early this year from central Taiwan, headed by of Sun Jen Textile chairman Pai Tsan-jung (白璨榮), had gathered funds to donate more than 140 ambulances, fire engines, trucks and other disaster relief vehicles to Ukrainian officials, media reports said.
Each one had the “Taiwan Can Help” slogan and a logo with twin hearts bearing the colors of both countries, and was transported via cargo ships.
Lin Chia-lung also invited people to attend the ensemble’s upcoming tour programs.
“Through this cultural exchange through dance and music performance, peoples of both countries can deepen their mutual understanding and establish closer connections. Taiwan and Ukraine can link up for enhanced relations, to break down the language and geographic barriers between us, and together we can help promote peace and friendship for all countries around the world,” he said.
After two dates in Taipei earlier this week, the ensemble is to perform today and tomorrow at Miaobei Art Center in Miaoli County’s Jhunan Township (竹南), at Taichung’s National Chung Hsing University Hui Sun Hall on Sunday, at the Tainan Cultural Center on Tuesday, and wrap up at Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts on Thursday and Friday.
“Even though their homeland is ravaged by war due to Russia, ensemble members are not deterred; they head out to international countries, bearing the torch to present and promote Ukraine’s national culture, showing the diverse arts, folklore, cultural traditions and history of Ukrainians,” Lin Chao said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty