MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan made by Russian Foreign Ministry

Date：2025-11-21
Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

November 21, 2025  

At a press conference on November 20, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her recent Taiwan-related remarks and falsely claimed that Taiwan was an inseparable part of China and that the Taiwan issue was an internal matter of China. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly condemns the Chinese government for engaging in international collusion to further disseminate absurd narratives that seek to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty. It also expresses great dissatisfaction and regret over the Russian government’s subservience to authoritarian China.
 
MOFA reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China, which is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, is subordinate to the other. MOFA stresses that all attempts to distort Taiwan’s sovereign status are acts of bullying that disrupt international peace and stability. Such attempts cannot alter the internationally recognized status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
 
MOFA welcomes the fact that friendly and allied countries continue to express concern over Taiwan Strait issues at international events and demonstrate their consistent stance and firm support for cross-strait peace and stability. 
 
Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities, build whole-of-society defense resilience, and work closely with friendly and allied countries to jointly ensure the freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA and Marshall Islands ambassador celebrate 27 years of diplomatic ties

Date：2025-11-21
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

November 21, 2025No. 480Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Baushuan Ger met with Marshall Islands Ambassador to Taiwan Anjanette Kattil on the afternoon of November 20 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Taiwan-Marshall Islands diplomatic relations. Ambassador Kattil thoughtfully prepared a cake to share with Vice Minister Ger and MOFA colleagues. The atmosphere was warm and friendly.Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 27 years ago, Taiwan and the Marshall Islands have become like family and engaged in close cooperation in such domains as education, combating climate change, health care, agriculture, and food security. Moving forward, both sides will continue to advance the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project under the policy of integrated diplomacy to further deepen bilateral ties. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

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

November 18, 2025  

Syrian Arab Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani met with People’s Republic of China Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on November 17. Afterwards, they issued a joint statement that made several blatantly false claims, including that Taiwan was an inseparable part of Chinese territory. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) solemnly condemns the Chinese government’s continuous efforts to entice other countries to disseminate spurious narratives that aim to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty. It also expresses deep regret over the Syrian transitional government’s subservience to authoritarian China.
 
MOFA reaffirms that the ROC (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other. In addition, it reiterates that any claims aimed at distorting Taiwan’s sovereign status constitute acts of bullying that disrupt international peace and stability. Such claims cannot change the objective fact and status quo that neither side of the Taiwan Strait is subordinate to the other. 
 
MOFA once again calls on the international community to recognize China’s authoritarian nature, as well as its intention to misrepresent the Taiwan issue as an internal affair and prevent the world from supporting Taiwan. Moreover, the international community is urged to continue taking concrete actions that counter China’s deplorable attempts to change the cross-strait status quo, so as to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense stating that US arms sale to Taiwan violates “one China principle”

November 18, 2025  

In a comment published on November 17, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense said that the recent US approval of an approximately US$330 million arms sale to Taiwan seriously violated the so-called “one China principle.”
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly condemns China for using its so-called “one China principle” in an attempt to distort the truth, engage in political manipulation, and thereby obstruct normal security cooperation between Taiwan and the United States.
 
MOFA once again expresses its gratitude to the United States for firmly honoring its security commitments to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances and for assisting Taiwan in maintaining sufficient self-defense capabilities.
 
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent state and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. This is the prevailing status quo across the Taiwan Strait and an objective fact recognized by the international community. China has no right to use its “one China principle” to disparage normal Taiwan-US cooperation or to interfere in other nations’ sovereign decisions concerning their interactions with Taiwan.
 
As has been noted around the world, China’s recent and frequent deployment of military aircraft and vessels within the region and its execution of provocative, large-scale military maneuvers have seriously undermined regional peace and stability. The international community is well aware that it is China that continues to challenge the regional status quo.
 
As a responsible regional actor, Taiwan remains committed to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. It will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and work together with the United States and other countries with which it shares common interests to safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Upon the invitation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, with the approval of the Central People’s Government, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council invited the member of the publicity delegation, the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mr Hou Jianguo, and the member of the publicity delegation, the Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs and the Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs, CPC, Mr Zhu Weidong, to visit Hong Kong to speak on the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee). The HKSAR Government today (November 25) held the second seminar on the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee at the Central Government Offices.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Zhou Ji, delivered speeches at the seminar. Mr Hou and Mr Zhu gave presentations respectively, providing in-depth explanations of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee as well as the key contents and significance of the Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. The two members of the publicity delegation also responded to questions raised by participants. Mr Lee delivered the concluding remarks.      
     Mr Hou focused on introducing the strategic tasks and major measures during the 15th Five-Year period that would play a significant leading, driving, and supporting role in advancing Chinese modernisation. Combining these with Hong Kong’s situation, he particularly elaborated on the contents of the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan on achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology; promoting high-standard opening up; promoting coordinated regional development; and other aspects. He said that upholding open cooperation and mutual benefit and win-win outcomes is an inherent requirement of Chinese modernisation. The Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan focus on promoting broader international economic flows, advancing reform and development through greater openness and sharing opportunities and achieving common development with the rest of the world, and making plans for promoting high-standard opening up. Hong Kong is an international financial, shipping, and trade centre. By better leveraging its role as a two-way opening bridge and fully strengthening its function as “super connector” and “super value-adder”, Hong Kong will certainly become a major channel and hub for attracting external resources, as well as a key platform for Mainland enterprises to go global, thereby playing a greater role in assisting the country’s high-level opening up. The strategic plans and major measures set out in the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan on promoting the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong will surely guide and advance the implementation of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong to open a new chapter, enabling Hong Kong to make greater contributions in the historical process of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs today (November 25) held the “Customs YES” Summer Internship Programme 2025 Certificate Presentation Ceremony at the Customs Headquarters Building to present certificates of appreciation and internship certificates to the representatives of the supporting organisations and “Customs YES” members respectively.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, said that Hong Kong Customs has been organising the Summer Internship Programme for five consecutive years. This year, a total of 130 internship positions were offered both locally and on the Chinese Mainland, attracting more than 1 200 applications from young people. Mr Chan attributed the success of the programme to the unwavering support from the supporting organisations, which enabled young people to gain valuable hands-on experience and take a vital step forward in their career development.

This year’s programme featured three key highlights, namely (1) offering, for the first time, internship positions in Beijing and Shenyang, providing young people with exposure to a more diversified job market on the Chinese Mainland and enhancing their competitiveness in the job market there; (2) providing internship opportunities for secondary school students for the second consecutive year, encouraging them to explore their personal aspirations and plan their future career paths at an early stage; and (3) arranging additional internship positions as assistants to Legislative Council (LegCo) Members, enabling participants to gain practical experience and understanding of the work of LegCo Members through participation in policy research, administrative support for LegCo meetings, and community outreach, thereby fostering their interest in public service in future.

Mr Chan also took the opportunity to encourage all attending guests to cast their votes in the 2025 Legislative Council General Election to be held on December 7 to fulfil their civic responsibility and contribute to building a better Hong Kong.

Looking ahead, Customs will continue to collaborate with its business counterparts to create more summer internship opportunities for young people to deepen their understanding of the country and broaden their global horizons, thereby laying a solid foundation for their future development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), in collaboration with multiple government departments, today (November 25) conducted a public health exercise codenamed “Amethyst” to enhance their response capabilities in dealing with a case of Ebola disease and to increase awareness among stakeholders about the handling of public health emergencies. Approximately 40 representatives from the DH, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Fire Services Department and the Civil Aid Service participated in this ground movement exercise. To strengthen exchanges with the Chinese Mainland and the international community, over 20 experts from the National Health Commission (NHC), the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), Shaanxi Province, Hubei Province, Guangdong Province, Chinese Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Singapore health authorities were invited to attend as observers.
 
     The exercise was held at the Penny’s Bay Community Isolation Facility today. Under the exercise simulation, the CHP received a notification about a manual worker suspected of having Ebola disease, prompting an immediate epidemiological investigation. Upon laboratory confirmation of the case, the CHP co-ordinated with relevant government departments according to the established mechanism to conduct on-site investigations and risk assessment, as well as to implement control measures to prevent the spread of the virus at the lodgings where the patient was accommodated. Simultaneously, the exercise simulated the transfer of the patient to isolation facilities, environmental disinfection, contact tracing, and the arrangement of quarantine. 
 
     This ground movement exercise is the second part of the public health exercise “Amethyst”. The first part, a table-top exercise, was completed on November 12, in which eight relevant government departments and the Hospital Authority discussed and co-ordinated the emergency response measures required in a scenario when an imported case of Ebola disease was reported in Hong Kong.
 
     “This exercise was successfully completed and provided valuable opportunities for all the relevant participating units to test each individual aspect in handling public health emergencies, ensuring seamless co-ordination and efficient collaboration. It also effectively enhanced every stakeholder’s awareness of prevention and control, as well as their response capabilities in dealing with cases of Ebola disease. The DH has previously conducted 32 exercises on the prevention and control of communicable diseases, including simulations of measles, plague, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and human avian influenza cases. These exercises aim to enhance the disease prevention awareness of both the community and healthcare workers and to continuously refine all public health emergency preparedness and response plans, ensuring readiness for potential outbreaks,” the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said.
 
     “This exercise, featuring experts from various regions, presents a golden opportunity. As observers, they provided us with advice on prevention and control, enabling us to compare and align communicable disease response measures. This will help refine the Hong Kong SAR’s contingency plans for preventing and controlling highly contagious diseases,” he added.
 
     Ebola disease is a severe acute viral illness, with human-to-human transmission resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such body fluids. According to information from the World Health Organization, the case fatality rates from past Ebola outbreaks range between 25 per cent and 90 per cent, and the average is around 50 per cent. Locally, viral haemorrhagic fever (including Ebola disease) is one of the statutory notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong. 
 
     Dr Lam expressed his gratitude to all government departments for their active participation, as well as to the NHC, the NDCPA, relevant Chinese Mainland provinces and municipalities, the Macao SAR and the Singapore health authorities, for their support. He emphasised that even though Hong Kong has never recorded a confirmed case of Ebola, as an international city, it must remain vigilant and prepared for epidemic prevention and control at all times, building a strong defence to safeguard public health.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today held the second seminar on the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. About 500 people attended.

President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Hou Jianguo, and Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial & Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of the CPC Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs Zhu Weidong, as publicity delegation members, visited Hong Kong to speak on the spirit of the plenary session.

Mr Hou and Mr Zhu gave in-depth explanations of the spirit of the plenary session as well as the key contents and significance of the “Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic & Social Development” (the Recommendations). They also responded to questions raised by participants.

Chief Executive John Lee, who gave a speech at the event, said: “The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated and adopted the Recommendations, making top-level designs and strategic plans for our country’s development over the next five years, and putting forward the major objectives and key tasks for economic and social development. It has also made important plans to support Hong Kong’s development, painting a brighter future for Hong Kong.

“The 15th Five-Year period further clarifies Hong Kong’s strategic position and supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, as well as in building an international innovation and technology centre. This has genuine and far-reaching significance for Hong Kong to fully leverage its unique advantages and important role of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world, to promote Hong Kong’s economic and social development, and to better integrate into and serve overall national development.”

Mr Lee expressed hope that the participants and members of the public would study in depth the spirit of the plenary session, and integrate this spirit into their daily lives.

In doing so, they will open up a bright future of long-term prosperity and stability for Hong Kong, and make relentless efforts to promote high-quality development of both the country and Hong Kong as well as the building of a great modern socialist country through Chinese modernisation, he elaborated.

Deputy Director of the CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office, Deputy Director of the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR Zhou Ji also delivered a speech at the seminar.

Mr Zhou said that since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and the central government, China’s economic and social development has achieved groundbreaking progress, breakthrough transformations and historic accomplishments. Hong Kong has also addressed the shortcomings in its legal system for safeguarding national security, fully implemented the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and entered the best period for focusing on economic growth, pursuing development, advancing projects and improving people’s livelihood.

He believed that through this seminar, everyone would gain a deeper understanding of the spirit of the fourth plenary session and implement it more effectively. The seminar would also encourage people to cast their votes in the upcoming Legislative Council General Election, thereby enhancing the Hong Kong SAR Government’s governance effectiveness through high-quality democracy and better fulfilling the mission of implementing “one country, two systems” during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

At the seminar, Mr Zhu said that the fourth plenary session has drawn a blueprint for China’s development in the next five years and constitutes another full mobilisation and deployment for advancing Chinese modernisation.

Noting that the conditions for and underlying trend of China’s long-term growth remain unchanged, he said the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China’s enormous market, its complete industrial system, and its abundant human resources, are all coming to the fore.

It is necessary to comprehend the guiding principles and major objectives for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year period, and fully understand the connotations and clear directions proposed by the plenary session on “working for long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau”, Mr Zhu stressed.

He also hoped that Hong Kong society would seize the opportunities of Chinese modernisation, proactively align with national strategies, forge new growth drivers and competitive advantages for the economy, better perform Hong Kong’s role as a bridge and window connecting the Chinese Mainland with the rest of the world, and better integrate into and serve the overall national development.

Mr Hou meanwhile, focused on introducing the strategic tasks and major measures during the 15th Five-Year period that would play a significant role in advancing Chinese modernisation.

Combining the tasks and measures with Hong Kong’s situation, he particularly outlined the Recommendations’ content in relation to achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology; promoting high-standard opening up; and promoting coordinated regional development.

He said that upholding open co-operation and mutual benefit are inherent requirements of Chinese modernisation. The Recommendations focus on promoting international economic flows, advancing reform and development through greater openness, and making plans for promoting high-standard opening up.

By better leveraging its role as a bridge, and fully strengthening its function as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, Hong Kong will certainly become a major channel and hub for attracting external resources, as well as a key platform for Mainland enterprises to go global, thereby playing a greater role in assisting the China’s high-level opening up, he pointed out.

Mr Hou added that the strategic plans and major measures set out in the Recommendations on promoting the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong will surely guide and advance the implementation of “one country, two systems”, enabling Hong Kong to make greater contributions in building China into a modern socialist country, and realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Shanghai Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course, co-organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the Shanghai High People’s Court, drew to a close today at the Changning campus of the East China University of Political Science & Law (ECUPL).

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam delivered a video speech at a closing ceremony for the three-day course. Shanghai High People’s Court President Jia Yu also gave a speech.

The course was tailored to the training needs of the 70 judges who make up the first batch of Shanghai’s “foreign-related adjudication talent pool”. Nearly 30 foreign-related adjudication judges from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui were invited to participate.

The content of the course focused on practical difficulties in foreign-related adjudication, including the characteristics of Hong Kong’s common law system under the “one country, two systems” principle; that system’s interplay with the Mainland’s codified law; and issues relating to contract law, evidence, judicial reviews, ascertainment of foreign law and drafting of judgments.

Various experienced legal professionals from Hong Kong, including members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee, gave lectures, assisting participants in better understanding the basic framework and principles of common law and enhancing their ability to handle cross-border cases.

Mr Lam outlined in his speech that under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is the only region in the country practicing common law, and is the only bilingual common law jurisdiction globally that uses both Chinese and English as official languages.

He expressed hope that participants on the course gained a deeper understanding of the differences between the common law and civil law systems, in order to strengthen the complementarity of Hong Kong’s common law and Mainland laws.

Additionally, a Hong Kong Common Law Day, co-organised by the Training Academy and the ECUPL, was held yesterday at the ECUPL’s Songjiang campus.

It brought together experts from universities and the judicial and legal practice sectors in Hong Kong and the Mainland, to share their views on the common law, the nurturing of foreign-related talent and the handling of cross-border foreign-related disputes.