By Dexter Murray ROC Citizens, Officials Rally Behind Ukraine The parallels between Ukraine’s and Taiwan’s precarious geopolitical situations – smaller economies facing threats from larger, authoritarian neighbors – have engendered sympathy from many Taiwanese people. On March 2, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) set up a designated fund to accept donations to help Ukrainian…
By Dexter Murray and Aimee Wu VP Lai Attends Honduras Inauguration Ceremony Taiwan Vice President William Lai led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of newly elected president of Honduras Xiomara Castro in January. Lai’s U.S. counterpart, Kamala Harris, was also present at the event. Harris spoke briefly with Lai during Castro’s inauguration, the…
Nicaragua Severs Ties with Taiwan Nicaragua ended official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in December, stating that it “recognizes that there is only one single China.” It was the eighth country to sever ties with Taiwan since 2016, leaving the island with only 14 diplomatic partners. The break in relations comes as the U.S. and countries…
— By Brian Tsui and Grace Faerber Taiwan Opens Rep Office in Lithuania Taiwan last month opened its Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, the first of the island’s de facto embassies in Europe to use the name “Taiwan.” In response, China has downgraded its diplomatic representation in Lithuania to that of charge d’affaires. According to Lithuanian…
U.S. Pushes For Taiwan Role In UN The U.S. has urged UN member states to find ways to include Taiwan as a participant in the UN system. On October 26, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement lamenting the exclusion of Taiwan’s expertise from such UN-affiliated bodies as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)…
Taiwan Places Bid to Enter CPTPP The Executive Yuan on September 23 announced Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), applying as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, the name it uses to participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The CPTPP was signed in…
Of the several controversies that surrounded the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last month, likely none stood out to Taiwan watchers more than the conversation surrounding the confusing and inaccurate name that the island’s Olympic athletes must compete under. The term “Chinese Taipei” came about several years after Taiwan – officially known as the Republic of…
Olympics Showcase Taiwan’s Strengths and Challenges Taiwan gave a historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which had been postponed until late July this year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 67 Taiwanese athletes competed in 18 sports at the games and returned to Taiwan with a record haul of 12…
If Taiwan needed any indication of who its real friends are, it has been handed plenty of evidence over the past two months. As the island grappled with a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and the human and economic costs of a local outbreak that began in mid-May, several like-minded countries have stepped in to help…
Following a local outbreak in mid-May, some observers drew attention to the exodus of “COVID refugees” – those who had come to Taiwan at the height of the pandemic in the U.S. and other countries. But the results of a recent survey suggest that most foreigners who arrived in Taiwan after the beginning of 2020…
