Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source:

No. 029 January 27, 2025Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on January 24 conferred the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy on outgoing British Office Taipei Representative John Dennis in recognition of his efforts over the past five years to promote bilateral exchange and cooperation in all areas.Minister Lin thanked Representative Dennis for raising British attention on the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific during his tenure. Minister Lin expressed pleasure that the G7 had begun stressing the importance of cross-strait peace and stability as an indispensable element to global security and prosperity since United Kingdom’s G7 presidency in 2021. He also noted that Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Catherine West in November 2024 for the first time publicly expressed the UK government’s opposition to China’s misrepresentation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Furthermore, Minister Lin stated that Representative Dennis had initiated regular bilateral dialogue mechanisms on a wide range of issues and had facilitated the signing of bilateral memorandums of understanding on the exchange of driving licenses and organics equivalence, as well as the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) arrangement, thereby further deepening people-to-people, agricultural, economic, and trade exchanges between the two countries. Minister Lin added that during Representative Dennis’s tenure the United Kingdom had actively participated in and co-hosted activities under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, helping to consolidate partnerships based on democratic values.  Representative Dennis said that considerable progress had been made in Taiwan-UK ties in recent years and that bilateral trade had continued to grow. He stated that he had been honored to witness the flourishing collaboration between the two countries, as well as Taiwan’s achievements in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, advancing supply chain resilience, and responding to climate change. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and the United Kingdom would soon conclude negotiations and sign subagreements on key pillars of the ETP, including investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero emissions.Meanwhile, Representative Dennis said that the United Kingdom would do its utmost to support Taiwan’s international participation so that the two countries could jointly contribute to global initiatives on health, ICT resilience, and sustainable development. He concluded his remarks by stressing that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were vital to global prosperity and that the United Kingdom and the other G7 members would continue to pay close attention to Taiwan Strait developments. Since taking office in December 2020, Representative Dennis has actively sharpened the United Kingdom’s focus on Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific affairs. He has also promoted bilateral exchange and collaboration in such areas as the economy, trade, investment, science and technology, and talent cultivation. His outstanding contributions have further enhanced the mutually beneficial and substantive partnership between Taiwan and the United Kingdom. (E) 

Source:

ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Donald Trump and JD Vance on inauguration as 47th president and 50th vice president of United States

Date：2025-01-21
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

January 21, 2025No. 024Donald John Trump and James David Vance were sworn into office as the 47th president and 50th vice president of the United States, respectively, on January 20. The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely congratulates President Trump and Vice President Vance on their inauguration. Building on the friendly and solid relations that exist between Taiwan and the United States, and in accordance with the principles of mutual trust, reciprocity, and mutual benefits, the government of Taiwan looks forward to working with the Trump administration to strengthen the close bilateral partnership in such domains as security, the economy and trade, technology, and education so as to enhance the well-being of both peoples and advance peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and the world. (E)

Source:

MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Kyrgyzstan

February 6, 2025  

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic on February 5. The two sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, which erroneously claimed that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly refutes this false narrative.
 
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent nation; that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other; and that the Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan. The ROC (Taiwan) is a modern democratic country that actively defends its democratic system and respects human rights and the rule of law. No statement seeking to distort the sovereign status of the ROC (Taiwan) can change the internationally recognized cross-strait status quo.
 
Taiwan is located on a strategic front line in the Indo-Pacific, safeguarding the values of democracy and freedom. Taiwan remains staunchly committed to defending its national sovereignty. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners to jointly counter China’s attempts at rhetorical and military intimidation, curb authoritarian expansionism, ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and promote global economic security and prosperity.

Source:

January 19, 2025No. 023Serving as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung led a delegation to the Republic of Palau—one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific—from January 15 to 18 to congratulate President Surangel Whipps, Jr. and Vice President Raynold Oilouch on their inauguration. Special Envoy Lin conducted the trip and flew back to Taiwan on January 18. In addition to attending official activities, Special Envoy Lin engaged with visiting dignitaries from other countries. He also led a delegation of industry leaders from Taiwan on a fact-finding tour to explore business opportunities in Palau. The visit received high praise from President Whipps and various other key political figures. In a concrete example of Taiwan’s implementation of its integrated diplomacy policy and the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, the trip produced substantive results. On January 16, Special Envoy Lin attended the presidential and vice presidential inauguration ceremony, made official visits, signed a letter of intent on sports and baseball exchanges, launched a smart healthcare project at Belau National Hospital,  and took part in President Whipps’s inauguration dinner. The following day, at President Whipps’s invitation, the Taiwan delegation joined special envoys and representatives from other countries on a tour of local tourism resources. In a strong demonstration of the importance that he attaches to Taiwan, President Whipps personally briefed the delegation on Palau’s tourism investment environment before the tour. During the event, President Whipps warmly interacted with Special Envoy Lin and other members of the Taiwan delegation. To reciprocate the generous hospitality of the president and government of Palau, Special Envoy Lin hosted a dinner on January 17 that was attended by President Whipps, House of Delegates Speaker Gibson Kanai, Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, and many other Palauan political and traditional leaders. Speaking at the banquet, Special Envoy Lin reaffirmed that Taiwan would strive to assist Palau in its national development and collaborate closely on future economic plans. In his remarks, President Whipps thanked Special Envoy Lin for leading an industry fact-finding mission to Palau and fully upholding Taiwan’s commitment to supporting Palau’s economic development. He added that he looked forward to promoting diverse cooperation between the two countries on the economy, trade, and investment. Reiterating his appreciation for Taiwan’s assistance in Palau’s national development since the establishment of diplomatic ties, President Whipps said that he would continue to lead the new government in working closely with Taiwan toward shared prosperity. During the dinner, Taiwan’s Mingdao High School handed over a donation of distance learning equipment to Palau High School. The initiative aimed to promote educational cooperation and underscored Taiwan’s active efforts to advance various forms of bilateral cooperation through civil society resources and public-private partnerships.On January 18, Special Envoy Lin led the industry delegation on a fact-finding tour of Palau’s tourism sector before flying back to Taiwan. Minister of State Aitaro saw the group off at the airport on behalf of President Whipps. He expressed sincere thanks to Taiwan for sending a delegation led by the special envoy and involving the private sector to invest in Palau’s economic development.Special Envoy Lin’s visit continued the theme of “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region” that defined President Lai’s Pacific tour last December. The aim of the trip was to use integrated diplomacy to highlight the democratic values that Taiwan shares with other like-minded countries; leverage Taiwan’s strengths in industry, technology, and human resources to develop Palauan industry in concrete ways; and further consolidate diplomatic relations. Taiwan will build on the robust partnership forged with Palau over 26 years of official ties to further advance the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project and work with Palau and other like-minded countries to jointly realize the vision of regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

Source:

MOFA response to South African government again pressuring Taiwan to relocate liaison office

February 2, 2025Since last October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has been in communication with South Africa through diplomatic channels. In accordance with the principles of parity and dignity, MOFA has engaged with the South African government, seeking to understand its views on future bilateral relations while still staunchly refusing to accept unilateral changes to the status quo. In late January, however, the South African government sent another letter to the Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa (TLO) demanding that it leave the capital city of Pretoria before the end of March. The South African government also attempted to downgrade the status of the TLO and have it renamed a trade office.Federal Chairperson Ivan Meyer of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest political party, was recently sanctioned by the Chinese government for visiting Taiwan. That the South African government has yet again set a deadline for the TLO’s relocation out of Pretoria—despite ongoing negotiations with Taiwan—demonstrates that China is ramping up efforts to suppress Taiwan in South Africa. Upon receiving a TLO report regarding the South African government’s repeated demand to relocate the office, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung again promptly convened a task force to discuss contingency measures. He remained in constant contact with the relevant MOFA officials both at home and abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday. He also instructed Director General Anthony Chung-yi Ho of the Department of West Asian and African Affairs to summon Representative Zakhele Mnisi of the Liaison Office of South Africa in Taiwan to convey the government’s serious concerns.MOFA reiterates that the Taiwan government remains steadfast in its refusal to accept the South African government’s unilateral violation of their bilateral agreement and that it will continue communicating with South Africa on the principles of parity and dignity. In line with the Taiwan government’s objectives, MOFA will adopt contingency measures depending on the South African government’s responses. It will also apprise the Taiwanese people and media of future developments at the appropriate times.MOFA once again solemnly urges the government of South Africa, which will host this year’s Group of 20 summit, to abide by the legal framework for bilateral relations signed in 1997. And before a consensus is reached through negotiations with Taiwan, MOFA calls on South Africa not to use coercive measures against the TLO or take any other action that could interfere with the TLO’s operations or services that it provides for Taiwanese abroad. 

Source:

Taiwan sends delegation to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States

Date：2025-01-18
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

January 18, 2025 
No. 022 

The 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States will be held in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. The government of Taiwan has again organized a cross-party delegation to convey the Taiwanese people’s sincere congratulations to the United States. This demonstrates the importance that the government and people of Taiwan place on the close Taiwan-US partnership and reciprocates the United States’ goodwill in sending a delegation to the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim last year. Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu will lead the delegation at President Lai’s behest and will be joined by seven other legislators: Ko Chih-en, Wang Ting-yu , Ko Ju-chun, Lee Yen-hsiu, Chen Kuan-ting, Kuo Yu-ching, and Chen Gau-tzu.
 
The delegation is departing for the United States on January 18 and is scheduled to return home on January 24. During the visit, the delegates will engage with US Congress members and other prominent political figures and convey Taiwan’s congratulations. They will participate in exchanges with US think tanks and other important friends on such issues as the current international landscape and Taiwan-US relations. They will also proactively seek to achieve the three missions entrusted to them by President Lai: to extend the best wishes of the people of Taiwan, to convey Taiwan’s firm commitment to democracy, and to pursue new milestones in Taiwan-US relations.
 
The US presidential and vice presidential inauguration is organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The theme of this year’s ceremonies is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise.” Due to forecasts for severe weather, the committee announced that the inauguration would be moved from outdoors into the Capitol Rotunda, where the swearing-in ceremony will be held and the inaugural address delivered. In accordance with the US Constitution, on January 20 President-elect Donald J. Trump will take the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States, while Vice President-elect JD  Vance will become the 50th vice president.
 
Taiwan sincerely congratulates President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance on their upcoming inauguration. It hopes that the two countries can build on their existing close partnership to further deepen cooperation across all domains; pursue their common interests; and work jointly to advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the rest of the world. (E)

Source:

Foreign Minister Lin hosts luncheon for British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group delegation

Date：2025-02-19
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

February 19, 2025  
No. 041  

On February 18, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon to welcome a delegation from the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group led by its chair, Sarah Champion MP, who also chairs the House of Commons International Development Committee. In his remarks, Minister Lin thanked the members of the UK parliamentary cross-party group for demonstrating their support for Taiwan through concrete actions.
 
Minister Lin noted that the Group of Seven had consistently stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element to global security and prosperity since 2021, when the United Kingdom held the G7 rotating presidency. He thanked the UK government for continuing to underline the fact that the interests and security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic were indivisible. Furthermore, Minister Lin expressed gratitude to the House of Commons for passing a motion last November concerning Taiwan’s international status. The motion noted that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 neither mentioned Taiwan nor addressed Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. Minister Lin said that he looked forward to Taiwan and the United Kingdom signing subarrangements under the framework of the Enhanced Trade Partnership Arrangement on investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero transition in the near future. He also expressed the hope that the United Kingdom would publicly voice support for Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
 
In her remarks, Ms. Champion noted that the international community was currently facing many challenges as authoritarian regimes continued to create conflict through various means. She said that democracies therefore needed to be more united to jointly defend freedom, human rights, and other core values. With friendship and cooperation between Taiwan and the United Kingdom continuing to deepen, Ms. Champion expressed hoped that the two sides would further strengthen collaboration on issues such as foreign information manipulation interference, critical infrastructure protection, and semiconductor supply chains. (E)

Source:

Decision No. 1 for the Rules of Procedure of the Administrative Commission of the Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) between the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Belize took effect on 28 December 2024.

Decision No. 1 for the Rules of Procedure was approved by consensus at the first meeting of the Administrative Commission of the ECA between Taiwan and Belize. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chern-Chyi “C.C.” Chen and Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize Amalia Mai in January 2024.

More details about Decision No. 1 are available at this website: https://fta.trade.gov.tw/

Source:

February 14, 2025  
No. 039  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan convened a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 14. A decision was made to form a cross-ministerial consultation task force and to invite medical institutions, healthcare businesses, industrial associations, and other experts that often participate in international cooperation projects to organize a Taiwan public healthcare team in conjunction with staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). By integrating public and private sector resources and harnessing the spirit of integrated diplomacy, the team will jointly implement a flagship initiative on smart medicine and healthcare as part of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, deepening Taiwan’s public health and medical cooperation with allies and other friendly countries.
 
As the first leader of Taiwan to hail from the field of medicine, President Lai Ching-te has drawn on his medical expertise and background to commit to growing Taiwan’s leading status in global healthcare. During his 2024 tour of the South Pacific, entitled “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region,” President Lai bolstered cooperation with other countries through medical diplomacy, highlighting Taiwan’s contributions to global healthcare development.
 
Minister Lin and Minister Chiu expressed their hope of leveraging Taiwan’s competitiveness in public health and medical care to further enhance partnerships with diplomatic allies and other friendly countries. This would involve combining the strengths that Taiwan had developed in biotechnology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and ICT over the years under the Five Plus Two Innovative Industries and Six Core Strategic Industries programs implemented by former President Tsai Ing-wen. The ministers said they wanted the healthy Taiwan envisioned by President Lai to benefit the world while also assisting related Taiwanese industries to expand into overseas markets.
 
Minister Lin invited Minister Chiu and MOHW staff to attend today’s meeting at MOFA to discuss ways of sharing Taiwan’s public health experience and smart medical solutions with allies and other friendly countries through a smart healthcare cooperation program. Both parties agreed that human resources, technology, and capital should serve together as the three pillars for expediting the export of comprehensive smart medical care and health systems. They said that this would effectively assist allies in increasing healthcare capacity, as well as raise the efficiency of public health management, enhance people’s well-being, and advance local prosperity. They also said that by employing a model that uses medicine to steer a path for industry, they looked forward to helping create business opportunities for Taiwan’s smart healthcare sector and promoting further development in the global healthcare industry.
 
In addition, the ministers reviewed the highlights and successful results of Taiwan’s public health and medical care cooperation projects. One example was an initiative to enhance Paraguay’s health information management system, which had successfully laid the foundation for healthcare digitalization and would continue to be optimized and serve as a demonstration point for Taiwan’s smart healthcare projects in South America. Elsewhere, they said, a smart healthcare collaboration project between Taiwan and Belau National Hospital in Palau would continue to expand so as to increase Palau’s public health capacity. Views were also exchanged as to strengthening business participation mechanisms and improving the outcome of Taiwan’s joint endeavors with Guatemala, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini, and other allies.
 
During the meeting, Minister Lin pointed out that Taiwan’s medical assistance to allies could also benefit Taiwanese people. Citing his delegation’s involvement in a car accident that took place during his recent trip to Palau as President Lai’s special envoy, Minister Lin said that injured MOFA colleagues had been able to receive timely professional care and return safely to Taiwan due to the medical services provided in Palau by Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital. He said this amply demonstrated the common good and value inherent in international medical cooperation.
 
In the future, MOFA and the MOHW will continue to work hand in hand with partners worldwide to deepen healthcare cooperation and make greater contributions to global public health and smart healthcare development based on the vision of a healthy Taiwan. They will also take joint steps to expand the presence of related Taiwanese industries in the international market and transform Taiwan into an economy on which the sun never sets. (E)

Source:

The Bureau of Industrial Parks (BIP) held the third annual “Advanced Seminar (Summary)” on (29th) as part of the LinYuan Industrial Park Comprehensive Inspection project. This event brought together central and local government officials, technical experts, and executives from 22 petrochemical companies to highlight and celebrate the achievements of the three-year initiative, paving the way for a more sustainable future for industrial parks.
The Director of BIP, Yang, Po-Keng, and LinYuan Project Convener Weng, Rong-Chou opened the seminar, expressing gratitude for the joint efforts. From 2022 to 2024, the initiative assisted 22 petrochemical factories in implementing a KPI management system focused on process safety, environmental protection, and fire response. The project achieved its objectives, laying a solid foundation for improved safety, reducing pollution, and enhancing fire response capabilities.
The BIPs outlined the project’s key achievements, including enhanced pipeline management with regular inspections and replacements, real-time anomaly tracking through monitoring systems, streamlined SOP adherence, improved reward mechanisms, better pollution control efficiency, and the adoption of digital tools for analyzing equipment leaks. The project also reinforced fire safety with self-check systems and diverse emergency drills. Beginning in 2025, businesses will transition to self-regulated management to sustain these gains.
Representatives from USI Group and Chang Chun Group shared insights into their KPI implementation efforts, underscoring their dedication to fostering a strong safety culture. During discussions, LinYuan Project Convener Weng emphasized addressing equipment aging and workforce shortages while building resilient safety practices. Deputy Convener Wu Rong-Ping discussed strategies for employee participation in emergency training and using AI to enhance disaster prevention, sparking dynamic exchanges.
The BIPs reaffirmed that safety in industrial parks is essential for corporate sustainability and environmental stewardship. Continued collaboration among businesses is vital. Companies committed to building on the project’s outcomes, utilizing smart technologies, setting new targets, and extending improvements to industry partners, positioning the LinYuan Industrial Park as a model of excellence.

Contact Person: Chiu, Hsin-Chang (Industrial Safety and Labor Affairs Section of Environment and Labor Affairs Division, BIP)
Contact Number: 886-7-3611212 ext. 429
Email: t1017@bip.gov.tw