Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ma muddying the waters

Taipei Times Editorial

The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries.

The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement.

Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China (note the reference to the PRC, not the ROC on Taiwan), led by Reinhard Butikofer, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received members of the Romanian-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Partners can help over-stretched US

Taipei Times Editorial

The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13.

The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said.

Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan.

Sunflower legacy: no complacency

Lai Yen-cheng 賴彥丞

The Sunflower movement, which started on March 18, 2014, had a great influence on Taiwan. Although now part of the nation’s history, the movement’s spirit will endure forever.

Most important of all, the movement inspired young people to engage in politics. It taught them to think independently, articulate their ideas for themselves and contribute to social development — leading to the establishment of youth departments in local governments, an amendment of the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow the voting age to be lowered to 18.

I was a senior-high school student at the time the mostly undergraduate students occupied the main chamber of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei and I was shocked at how the police violently suppressed those who entered the Executive Yuan compound.

European MPs challenge M503 change

Taipei Times

Twenty-eight members of the European Parliament have sent a joint letter to leaders of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the EU to express concern over China’s unilateral decision to alter the M503 flight path.

The letter, which was sent on Wednesday last week, was addressed to ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Climate Action Frans Timmermans and European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean.

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