Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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MOFA response to US Secretary of State Rubio expressing concern over China’s coercion of Taiwan in phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang

January 25, 2025 

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 24 spoke over the phone with Director of the Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He stressed the United States’ commitment to its allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) affirms and welcomes Secretary Rubio’s remarks in his first interaction with the Chinese foreign minister underscoring strong US concern over China’s continued coercion of Taiwan, military expansion, disruption of regional peace and stability, and other heavy-handed actions.
 
MOFA notes that China again made false claims about Taiwan in its press release concerning this phone call. MOFA solemnly reiterates that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other and that this is a long-standing, objective fact and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
 
MOFA looks forward to building on the solid Taiwan-US friendship to further enhance cooperation with the Trump administration. Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its determination to defend itself and comprehensively bolster its defense capabilities and resilience through such avenues as military purchases from the United States, national defense reforms, and strengthening of whole-of-society defense resilience. It will also steadily deepen its close security, economic, and trade partnership with the United States to jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the region.

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MOFA response to false claims made by Chinese Foreign Ministry

January 16, 2025The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly refutes false comments made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that “Taiwan is a province of China” and “there is no such thing as ‘president’ or ‘foreign ministry’ of Taiwan” in response to a media question on Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung attending the inauguration of the president and vice president of Palau as special presidential envoy.On January 16, Taiwan’s diplomatic ally the Republic of Palau held the inauguration ceremony for its president and vice president. In response to sincere invitations from newly reelected President Surangel Whipps, Jr., Minister Lin led a delegation to Palau to offer heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the capacity of special presidential envoy. The visit demonstrated the solid diplomatic bond between the two countries. As a third party that was not invited to the event, China resorted to making spurious claims. It took the opportunity to rehash false narratives about the “one China principle,” allege that Taiwan’s allies hoped to establish relations with China, and spread other disinformation. The comments were yet another attempt to employ cognitive warfare and information manipulation tactics to damage and divide relations between Taiwan and its allies. MOFA condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms.MOFA solemnly reaffirms that the ROC (Taiwan) is a free and democratic country. Neither democratic Taiwan nor totalitarian China is subordinate to the other. This is a long-standing, objective, and internationally recognized fact. It is also the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has never been governed by the People’s Republic of China, nor has it ever been part of the PRC. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent the Taiwanese people within the UN system and other international bodies. China has no say in this matter.MOFA urges China to stop its reprehensible behavior of maliciously distorting the truth and ignoring history. Taiwan will continue to steadfastly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, strengthen cooperation with its diplomatic allies and other democratic partners, jointly deter authoritarian expansionism, staunchly defend peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, and maintain a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

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MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing US-Taiwan expedited double-tax relief act by overwhelming majority

January 16, 2025 

The US House of Representatives on January 15 approved the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act by an overwhelming majority, underscoring the high regard and strong support on both sides of the aisle for addressing double taxation issues between the two countries. The bill will now be submitted to the Senate for deliberation.
 
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a statement affirming that House Republicans understood the significance of the United States’ economic relationship with Taiwan and asserting that the legislation would help strengthen bilateral economic ties, boost US competitiveness, and create jobs. Fifteen representatives from both parties expressed staunch support for Taiwan and the bill during the deliberation process. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely appreciates the passage of the legislation. MOFA will coordinate with related ministries and agencies and continue to work with the US Congress and the incoming Trump administration toward a speedy resolution of double taxation issues and the elimination of tax barriers to bilateral investment, economic, and trade activities. It will also seek to strengthen the resilience of critical supply chains and further enhance the reciprocal and mutually beneficial economic and trade partnership between Taiwan and the United States.

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MOFA response to White House statement on Indo-Pacific reaffirming support for maintaining Taiwan’s defense capabilities

January 11, 2025The White House on January 10 issued a statement on the United States’ enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. The statement reiterated that the US administration under President Joe Biden had employed diverse avenues to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability aimed at ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. These included the first-ever use of foreign military financing and presidential drawdown authority for Taiwan, as well as international military education and training. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates the United States’ support. 
 
MOFA also notes that the statement referred to South Pacific undersea cable projects undertaken by the United States in cooperation with Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as part of an unprecedented effort to improve digital communications in the region. Such multilateral collaboration has been an excellent example of Taiwan’s strategy of integrated diplomacy, which combines values-based diplomacy, alliance diplomacy, and economic and trade diplomacy. Taiwan is not only a vital force underpinning regional peace and global prosperity but also a reliable partner that safeguards international economic security and resilience. 
 
In addition to the US military assistance to Taiwan cited in the statement, the Biden administration has announced 19 arms sales to Taiwan during its term. This has continued the US policy of normalizing arms sales to Taiwan and demonstrated the United States’ staunch commitment to help increase Taiwan’s defense capabilities. As President Lai Ching-te stated in his New Year’s address, “the more secure Taiwan, the more secure the world. The more resilient Taiwan, the sounder the defense of global democracy.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also cautioned other countries that Taiwan is not China’s business but rather a matter for the entire world. All sectors have seen that through the concerted efforts of Taiwan, the United States, and other nations over the past few years, an international consensus has developed regarding the importance of peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific among the United States, Taiwan, and other allies and partners has laid a foundation for shared freedom, openness, prosperity, security, and resilience. MOFA sincerely thanks the Biden administration and looks forward to strengthening the solid and cordial Taiwan-US relationship to bolster cooperation with the new administration under President Donald Trump. Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its determination to defend itself and reinforce its defense capabilities and resilience through arms purchases from the United States, defense reforms, the enhancement of whole-of-society defense resilience, and other avenues. Taiwan will steadily deepen its close security, economic, and trade partnership with the United States so as to jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the region. 

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

February 8, 2025Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on February 6. Two days after the meeting, the two sides issued a joint statement on advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity, and sustainability through a forward-looking and people-centered vision. The text includes the erroneous claim that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, as well as an expression of support by Thailand for China’s “one country, two systems” policy. Given that the statement radically deviates from the facts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protests and solemnly condemns the Chinese government for once again disseminating narratives aimed at downgrading the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In addition, MOFA deeply regrets the Thai government’s subservience to China’s suppression of Taiwan’s sovereign status.MOFA reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent nation; that neither Taiwan nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other; and that the Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan. No fraudulent claim seeking to distort the sovereign status of the ROC (Taiwan) can change the internationally recognized cross-strait status quo.MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan and Thailand share a long-standing friendship and urges the government of Thailand to adopt an open and pragmatic approach toward building on the existing foundation of robust cooperation so that both sides can expand mutually beneficial economic, trade, and other exchanges and properly contribute to regional peace and stability.

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MOFA response to joint statement from US-Japan summit reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability

February 8, 2025 

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a summit in Washington, DC, on February 7. In the joint statement released after the meeting, the two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community. 
 
Furthermore, President Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion, and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. The leaders also underlined their strong opposition to China’s attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea as well as its unlawful claims, militarization, and provocative activities in the South China Sea. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely appreciates and affirms the fact that the leaders of the United States and Japan, meeting for the first time since they assumed their respective positions, used this historic occasion to jointly reiterate their staunch position on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
 
MOFA welcomes the continued attention of the international community on cross-strait peace and stability, as well as its concern over China’s threats to the peaceful status quo. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will actively implement its Four Pillars of Peace action plan, which includes further strengthening its national defense capabilities. Taiwan will work together with the United States, Japan, and other like-minded countries to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

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

February 8, 2025Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaaddin Waddaulah on February 6. The two sides issued a joint statement on advancing the strategic cooperative partnership towards a China-Brunei community with a shared future, which erroneously claimed that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns this claim.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. No statement seeking to distort the sovereign status of the ROC (Taiwan) can change the internationally recognized cross-strait status quo.MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan will not succumb to pressure or diplomatic suppression by China’s authoritarian government. Through its practice of integrated diplomacy, Taiwan will continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation and bilateral relations with Brunei and other nations so as to jointly facilitate regional prosperity.

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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) 

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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)

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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.