Month: March 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office expressing serious concern over China’s joint military drills around Taiwan

October 15, 2024  

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a press statement on October 14 expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan and adding that these exercises increased tensions and risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait. In the statement, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which it said was of critical importance to global prosperity. The statement reiterated that the Taiwan issue should be settled by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. It further said that the United Kingdom did not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and called for restraint and the avoidance of any actions that might undermine peace and stability.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely appreciates that the UK government has continued to pay close attention to developments across the Taiwan Strait and clearly spelled out the importance of cross-strait peace and stability to global affairs. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order. It also hopes that democracies around the world will stand together in urging China to exercise reason and restraint and to stop threatening Taiwan and unilaterally escalating regional tensions. 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to US State Department expressing serious concern over China’s military drills around Taiwan

October 14, 2024   

The US State Department issued a press statement on October 13 stating that the United States was seriously concerned by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan, and that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) responding with military provocations to a routine annual speech was unwarranted and risked escalation. In the statement, the United States called on the PRC to act with restraint and to avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region. The statement added that the United States would continue to monitor China’s activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding their shared concerns.
 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week publicly emphasized that Taiwan’s National Day address was a routine activity and that China should not use the event as a pretext for engaging in any provocative actions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) conveys its sincere appreciation to the United States for expressing its serious concerns and reaffirming its security commitments to Taiwan, and for once again focusing attention on the PLA as it uses a routine speech to justify launching military acts of harassment against Taiwan.
 
MOFA emphasizes that China’s use of President Lai Ching-te’s National Day address as a pretext for applying military pressure on Taiwan and issuing a slew of threatening remarks is a grave violation of the fundamental spirit of the United Nations Charter. Such actions will not only fail to gain the endorsement of the international community, but rather prompt countries to express heightened concern over China’s provocative behavior that disrupts the status quo. MOFA calls on like-minded allies and partners to jointly press China to exercise self-restraint and to cease its intimidation of Taiwan and all activities that undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to EEAS spokesperson’s statement on China’s launch of Joint Sword-2024B military drills around Taiwan

October 14, 2024  

Following China’s announcement on October 14 of the launch of the Joint Sword-2024B military drills, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) issued a statement later that day pointing out that China’s military activities around Taiwan had further increased cross-strait tensions. The statement reiterated that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait were of strategic importance to regional and global security and prosperity. It also reaffirmed the European Union’s direct interest in the preservation of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. In addition, the European Union called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that might further escalate cross-strait tensions and to resolve disputes through dialogue.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly appreciates that the European Union has continued to pay close attention to Taiwan Strait developments and that it issued a statement reaffirming staunch support for cross-strait peace and stability immediately after China announced the launch of military drills. As a force for good in the world, Taiwan will continue to bolster cooperation and exchanges with European countries and other like-minded partners so as to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy and uphold the rules-based international order, demonstrating to the world Taiwan’s determination to defend democracy. 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Donald Trump on his election as 47th US president

Date：2024-11-07
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

November 6, 2024  
No. 397  

The 60th presidential election of the United States was held on November 5. As of the evening of November 6 Taipei time, election results showed that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance had surpassed the threshold of 270 electoral college votes to win the election and become the 47th president and 50th vice president of the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely congratulates President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance. 
 
MOFA has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States to forward a congratulatory letter from President Lai Ching-te to President-elect Trump. In addition to extending felicitations in his letter, President Lai also expresses the hope of building on the close and cordial partnership between Taiwan and the United States to further strengthen cooperation with the Trump administration. 
 
Taiwan and the United States share the core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights and maintain a seamless and comprehensive partnership in politics, security, economics, and other domains. The government of Taiwan looks forward to continuing to collaborate closely with the new US administration so as to proactively enhance bilateral relations and jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner for Paraguayan delegation led by Congress and Senate President Núñez and his wife

Date：2024-11-06
Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

November 6, 2024  
No. 396

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner banquet on November 5 to welcome a delegation from Paraguay led by Congress and Senate President Basilio Gustavo Núñez Giménez and his wife. The two sides exchanged views on a number of issues, including the deepening of bilateral diplomatic ties and enhancement of educational, public health, and economic and trade collaboration.
 
Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Paraguay had achieved remarkable success in their cooperation across a broad range of domains. He pointed out that the various Taiwan scholarships and the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University had nurtured many professionals who contributed to national and social development in Paraguay and served as a bridge of friendship between the two countries. Minister Lin recalled his visit to Paraguay in August last year, when he accompanied then-Vice President Lai Ching-te to the inauguration of President Santiago Peña. He said that he was deeply impressed by Paraguay’s development and local customs and traditions.
 
Senate President Núñez stated that the visiting delegation, composed of members of the governing National Republican Association (or the Red Party) and the largest opposition Authentic Radical Liberal Party (or the Blue Party), was representative of public opinion and showed that Taiwan enjoyed staunch support among both the ruling and opposition parties. He thanked Taiwan for the many diverse projects it had implemented to benefit the Paraguayan economy and people’s livelihoods over the years. He specifically cited the health information system, which had reduced patient waiting time, improved health care quality, and automated pharmaceutical and medical supply management. He stated that Paraguay would continue to refer to Taiwan’s development success and experience and further broaden and deepen bilateral collaboration and exchanges.
 
Minister Lin and Senate President Núñez also engaged in in-depth discussions on bilateral economic, trade, and investment issues. Both sides agreed to leverage Paraguay’s membership in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to facilitate investment by Taiwan businesses in this market of nearly 300 million people and make use of attractive conditions such as a stable Paraguayan currency, low utility rates, tax incentives, and a large young labor force. They expressed optimism that the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project would support the global expansion of Taiwan’s industries while stimulating industrial development in allied nations, creating a win-win situation. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin visits Saint Christopher and Nevis, deepening cordial bilateral relations

Date：2024-11-01
Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

November 1, 2024No. 387Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung visited Saint Christopher and Nevis on October 31. He called on Governor-General Dame Marcella A. Liburd and met separately with Prime Minister Terrance Drew and Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas for extensive and in-depth discussions on strengthening bilateral collaboration and further bolstering diplomatic relations.Minister Lin commended Dame Marcella, the first female governor-general of Saint Christopher and Nevis, for proactively promoting social development since taking office last year and for setting an outstanding leadership example. In his meetings with Prime Minister Drew and Foreign Minister Douglas, Minister Lin thanked the government of Saint Christopher and Nevis for its long-standing and unwavering support for Taiwan’s international participation. He especially noted that Prime Minister Drew in September had publicly endorsed Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations at the United Nations General Debate for the third consecutive year. Minister Lin also expressed appreciation that the National Assembly of Saint Christopher and Nevis had adopted two resolutions supporting Taiwan, both of which put forward by Prime Minister Drew, adding that this reflected cross-party backing for Taiwan.Minister Lin applauded the close cooperation that Taiwan and Saint Christopher and Nevis had engaged in since establishing diplomatic ties 41 years ago. He affirmed joint endeavors in such areas as health care, education, ICT, women’s empowerment, climate resilience, and sustainable growth, stating that related projects had spurred social and economic progress in both countries, demonstrated the depth and breadth of diplomatic relations, and highlighted the common pursuit of sustainable development goals. Minister Lin praised Prime Minister Drew for his vision to transform Saint Christopher and Nevis into an island nation of sustainability. Furthermore, he reiterated that Taiwan would continue to work with Saint Christopher and Nevis to respond to challenges concerning food security, green energy, economic diversification, and social protection; safeguard the shared values of freedom and democracy; and enhance the well-being of both peoples. (E) 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

October 31, 2024 
No. 383 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung led a delegation to Belize from October 29 to 30. On the day of his arrival, Minister Lin held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Francis Fonseca and attended a reception hosted by Minister Fonseca to celebrate 35 years of the diplomatic alliance between Taiwan and Belize.
 
Immediately after arriving in Belize on the afternoon of October 29, Minister Lin called at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, where he was warmly welcomed by Minister Fonseca. The two foreign ministers then proceeded to hold bilateral talks to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. 
 
Minister Lin thanked the government of Belize for its long-standing support of Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations system, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Criminal Police Organization, and other global mechanisms. He also expressed appreciation that Belize had taken concrete actions to show concern over China’s intimidation and threats targeting Taiwan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that it had spoken up proactively in support of Taiwan. The two sides reviewed the progress and affirmed the success of cooperation projects across a number of domains, including basic infrastructure, public health, medical care, agriculture, environmental sustainability, information technology, culture, education, and women’s empowerment. 
 
At a press conference after the meeting, the foreign ministers issued a joint press release on the 35 years of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Belize, attesting to the two countries’ robust friendship and long list of cooperation achievements. Minister Lin announced that significant progress had been made after two years of efforts to export shrimp from Belize to Taiwan, with the initiative now entering the on-site inspection phase. He said that he looked forward to witnessing the opening of Taiwan’s market to Belizean seafood once related procedures were completed. 
 
Minister Lin expressed that both countries cherished peace and upheld the values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. He added that based on this solid foundation of common ideals, bilateral relations had continued to flourish. He also stated that by sharing Taiwan’s experience, collaboration could be further expanded in such areas as smart agriculture, talent cultivation, public health, ICT, clean energy, and basic infrastructure. He pledged that Taiwan would do its utmost to foster shared prosperity with Belize. 
 
Following the press conference, Minister Fonseca hosted a reception to celebrate 35 years of diplomatic relations and to welcome Minister Lin. The event was attended by Prime Minister John Briceño, the Senate president, the House of Representatives speaker, cabinet members, and members of the diplomatic corps. Minister Fonseca delivered an address and proposed a toast. Minister Lin again thanked the Belizean government for steadfastly supporting Taiwan-Belize diplomatic relations, as well as Taiwan’s international participation. He anticipated that the two countries, building on this special milestone in bilateral relations, would further deepen their cooperative partnership and enduring alliance. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin witnesses successful outcomes of values-based and economic and trade diplomacy on visit to Saint Lucia

Date：2024-10-29
Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

October 29, 2024 
No. 379 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung arrived in Saint Lucia on an official visit the morning of October 28. He called on Acting Governor-General Cyril Charles, met with Prime Minister Philip Pierre, and lunched with the entire cabinet. In the afternoon, he visited the Parliament of Saint Lucia and held bilateral talks with Senate President Alvina Reynolds and House of Assembly Speaker Claudius Francis. He also engaged in extensive exchanges on the international situation and Taiwan-Saint Lucia relations with other key political figures in Saint Lucia. The meetings were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere.
 
Minister Lin stated that Saint Lucia was an important Caribbean ally of Taiwan. He added that the two countries shared the values of freedom and democracy and were working to jointly counter the threat of authoritarianism. He expressed particular appreciation for Saint Lucia’s staunch support of Taiwan’s international participation, thanking Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs Moses Jn. Baptiste and Minister for External Affairs Alva Baptiste for speaking up for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly and the United Nations General Assembly, respectively.
 
Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Saint Lucia had engaged in close cooperation on partnership projects for many years across a number of domains, including education, science, technology, public health, infrastructure, and empowerment of women and youth, achieving significant results. He said that in the future the government of Taiwan would implement integrated diplomacy, sharing Taiwan’s technological strengths and experience to assist in Saint Lucia’s economic development. He expected continued bilateral cooperation to foster a partnership for prosperity and sustainable development. 
 
Prime Minister Pierre said that the government and people of Saint Lucia were deeply grateful for Taiwan’s substantive assistance over the years, which had met local needs. He emphasized that the two countries would build on the existing solid foundation of cooperation to steadily promote mutual development, share experiences, and actively deepen diplomatic ties.
 
Senate President Reynolds and House of Assembly Speaker Francis, who attended National Day celebrations in Taiwan earlier this month, extended a special invitation to Minister Lin to visit parliament and personally expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality afforded to them by the Taiwan government during their stay. They also lauded Taiwan’s political, economic, and cultural development, which they hoped would serve as a point of reference for Saint Lucia. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

November 29, 2024 – Taipower has been dedicated to the development of sports in Taiwan for nearly 80 years and holds the distinction of being the state-owned enterprise with the greatest number of sports teams. Over the years, the Company has nurtured more than 500 national athletes, continuously energizing the sports community. Today, Taipower was honored with the Sports Activist Awards for the 15th time and achieved a record 10th consecutive win in three major categories: the Gold Medal for Sponsorship, the Long-Term Sponsorship Award, and the Gold Medal for Promotion. In addition to its mission of ensuring a stable power supply, Taipower remains committed to corporate social responsibility. This includes managing sports teams to cultivate future stars in the athletic world, actively promoting sports-related public welfare initiatives, fostering sportsmanship at the grassroots level, and giving back to society.

The 2024 Sports Activist Awards Ceremony was held on the afternoon of November 29 at the Grand Mayfull Hotel in Taipei. Taipower, receiving the award for the 15th time, was represented by Vice President Tsai Chih-Meng, who accepted the honor from Minister without Portfolio Shih Che of the Executive Yuan. The Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education has organized the Sports Activist Awards for 16 years, starting in 2009. Taipower stood out among 126 corporate and individual participants, joining the ranks of companies such as Taiwan Cooperative Bank, Fubon Financial Holdings, and First Commercial Bank in being recognized in three major award categories.

Since 1946, Taipower has successively established six sports teams: men’s baseball, men’s volleyball, women’s badminton, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, and women’s basketball. The Company has continuously supported the nation in cultivating athletic talent by identifying potential players from high schools and universities and serving as a cradle for national athletes. Among them, “seed killers” Sung Shuo-Yun and Yu Chien-Hui from the Taipower women’s badminton team won the women’s doubles championship at the Hylo Open (Super 300) in Germany in early November, bringing glory to Taiwan. Additionally, Team Taiwan Captain Chen Chieh-Hsien-who led Taiwan to our first-ever WBSC Premier12 tournament championship and our first title in an elite-level international baseball competition-was once a member of Taipower’s baseball team.

Taipower’s sports teams have also achieved outstanding results in various domestic competitions. In 2023, the baseball team secured third place in the National Top Division Baseball Spring League. Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams earned second place in the 2023 Enterprise Volleyball League. In women’s badminton, Yu Chien-Hui and Lee Tzu-Ching won the women’s doubles championship in the first National Badminton Ranking Tournament of 2024, while Chiu Pin-Chien claimed the women’s singles championship in the second National Badminton Ranking Tournament of 2024. The women’s basketball team clinched third place in the 2024 WSBL (Women’s Super Basketball League). Meanwhile, the soccer team has remained a regular on the awards podium, continuing its streak of excellence.

In addition to cultivating athletes, Taipower actively leverages its team resources to promote public welfare. Since 2016, it has hosted Taipower Fun Sports Camp every summer, where national-level players take on the role of top coaches. This year, the program attracted a record 3,600 schoolchildren, bringing the total number of participants to over 18,000 children to date. Furthermore, Taipower organizes an annual Care Train initiative, which dispatches members of its sports teams to rural schools to pass on their athletic skills. To date, the program has conducted over 100 sessions, spreading goodwill to every corner of Taiwan while fostering the development of sports.

Spokesperson: Vice President Tsai Chih-Meng
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0958-749-333
E-mail: u910707@taipower.com.tw

Contact Person: Director of Human Resources Department Shen Shu-Li
Phone: (02) 2366-7320; 0920-459-090
E-mail: u149031@taipower.com.tw

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

To ensure a stable power supply, Taipower has established training centers in northern, central, and southern Taiwan to cultivate power industry professionals. Among them, the Kaohsiung Training Center, which is known as the “Cradle of Repair Heroes”, received the National Talent Development Award, Taiwan’s highest honor in the field of human resources, for the first time in 2021. Yesterday (November 27), Taipower’s “Training Base for Power Plant Guardians”-Linkou Training Center (LTC)-earned this prestigious award for the second time. A Taipower representative stated that LTC has been operational for over 30 years, and has trained more than 100,000 power industry elites who now serve in key positions of mechanical, instrumentation and control (I&C), and electrical equipment maintenance at power plants nationwide. Moving forward, LTC will continuously enhance its programs to nurture more essential talent for the nation.

Since its establishment in 1993, LTC has specialized in cultivating professionals for the maintenance and servicing of mechanical, I&C, electrical, and repair equipment for power plant generation units nationwide. It features instructors with niche expertise and is home to national training and examination facilities for these specialized fields. Currently, LTC provides training and certification for over 50 Taipower technical licenses and offers 8 national skill certification programs across 9 levels. Over the past 31 years, LTC has trained more than 100,000 individuals. Internationally recognized for its power industry expertise, LTC has also extended its services to train power plant personnel from countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Guam, and Eswatini, earning its reputation as the “Training Base for Power Plant Guardians”.

A Taipower representative explained that LTC envisions becoming a “Certification Institution for Power Technology Professionals”. In addition to receiving this recent award, LTC has also earned dual certifications for training quality: ISO 9001 and the TTQS Talent Development Quality Management System Gold Medal. In response to the trends and demands of digital development, LTC has actively updated its training and certification hardware and teaching facilities in recent years. New additions include mixed reality (MR) training for electric shock prevention and virtual reality (VR) training scenarios for emergency rescue and escape from onshore wind turbines. In the future, LTC will continue to integrate innovative technologies to enhance the training of power industry professionals, thereby ensuring the stable and safe operation of the nation’s power plants.

Spokesperson: Vice President Tsai Chih-Meng
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0958-749-333
E-mail: u910707@taipower.com.tw

Contact Person: Director of the Linkou Training Center, Wu Feng-Ping
Phone: (03) 328-8726; 0905-151-700
E-mail: u099236@taipower.com.tw