1. March 26, 2023
The governments of the Republic of Honduras and the People’s Republic of China are currently engaged in negotiations to establish diplomatic relations. As communication between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Honduras has not produced its desired outcome, the Republic of China (Taiwan), in order to uphold national sovereignty and dignity, has decided to terminate diplomatic relations with the Republic of Honduras. The government of Taiwan expresses great sadness and regret that Honduran President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento and her administration have disregarded Taiwan’s long-standing assistance and friendship and engaged China in talks on establishing diplomatic relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) cautions the Beijing authorities that by repeatedly luring away Taiwan’s diplomatic allies through false promises and reducing Taiwan’s diplomatic space, they have seriously hurt the feelings of the people of Taiwan and exacerbated the rift in cross-strait relations. MOFA emphasizes that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. These are the facts as well as the status quo. Taiwan will not submit to the pressure and coercion of the Chinese authoritarian government. Instead, it will uphold the values of freedom and democracy and actively collaborate with diplomatic allies and like-minded nations to jointly maintain regional peace and stability and ensure Taiwan’s rightful international status.
2. April 28, 2023
Former President Ma Ying-jeou was invited to attend the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece from April 26 to 29. His title was inappropriately changed by the host organization multiple times. On discovering the error, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly instructed the representative office in Greece to lodge a strong protest and demand a correction. The forum initially corrected former President Ma’s title, but over the next few days backtracked a number of times, finally changing it to “Former President of the Kuomintang party—Chinese Taipei.” The host organization’s repeated prevarication is a clear sign that malicious forces were working behind the scenes.
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is indisputably a sovereign, independent country. MOFA staunchly upholds Taiwan’s sovereignty and insists that its former heads of state are treated with due respect. MOFA condemns the forum in the strongest possible terms for flagrantly changing former President Ma’s title.
3. June 21, 2023
The government of Fiji had restored the name of Taiwan’s mission to the Trade Mission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Republic of Fiji on March 15 and reinstated its diplomatic privileges in accordance with Fiji’s Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Act 1971. However, under heavy-handed pressure from China, Fiji changed the name back to the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemns China in the strongest possible terms for once again suppressing Taiwan’s presence in the international arena and attempting to undermine its sovereignty.
After the Fijian government decided to restore the name of Taiwan’s mission in March, China’s embassy submitted a protest and threatened the government with reprisals. China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu ramped up the pressure on Fiji in a visit to the country on April 13. After a number of cabinet discussions, the Fijian government eventually submitted to China’s demands and changed the name of the mission to the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji. MOFA expresses regret that the government of Fiji was unable to stand its ground.
4. August 22, 2023
On August 21, the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) forced through a proposal by the Nicaraguan parliamentary group to exclude Taiwan and include China. The government of Taiwan protested the action in the strongest terms and, to uphold national sovereignty and dignity, decided to officially withdraw from the PARLACEN on the same day.
In collusion with China’s plot to exclude Taiwan from the PARLACEN, the Nicaraguan parliamentary group and pro-China parliamentarians disregarded Taiwan’s long-term contributions to the PARLACEN as well as its efforts to promote integration and development in Central America. They did not hesitate to sow division within the PARLACEN and undermine democracy and harmony in the region, pressuring the PARLACEN to adopt the highly controversial proposal to exclude Taiwan and include China. MOFA strongly condemns Daniel Ortega’s dictatorial regime for willingly serving as a Chinese pawn, erroneously citing United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, and manipulating the false narrative of the so-called “one China principle.” This conspiracy to deprive Taiwan of its rights and interests in the PARLACEN gravely harms the cooperation and friendship that the peoples of Taiwan and Central America have enjoyed for so many years, as well as highlighting China’s relentless scheming to erode democracy in Central America and its expansionist ambitions in the region. On behalf of the government of Taiwan, MOFA strongly denounces these brazen actions aimed at harming Taiwan’s rights, interests, and status .
5. September 21, 2023
The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly took place in September this year. Regarding Chinese Vice President Han Zheng’s repeated references to the “one China principle” in the General Debate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates that Taiwan has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China and is not part of the PRC. Neither democratic Taiwan nor authoritarian China is subordinate to the other. This is an internationally recognized, objective fact and the cross-strait status quo. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent the 23 million people of Taiwan in the UN system and other international arenas. It is contemptible that the totalitarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party continues to mislead international audiences. China’s intention to unilaterally change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait also seriously threatens regional peace, security, and stability.
6. December 11 , 2023
The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 28) opened in Dubai on November 30. On December 9, the Chinese delegation falsely claimed that China had made appropriate arrangements for Taiwan to participate in the climate change process under the “one China principle.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemns the Chinese delegation in the strongest terms for yet again peddling blatant lies at an international conference and maliciously attempting to downgrade the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
MOFA reiterates that Taiwan’s contributions and accomplishments in the fields of global environmental governance and climate change response are recognized worldwide and have nothing whatsoever to do with China. The UNFCCC is the specialized platform for the international community to jointly address the challenge of climate change. Yet China continues to interfere in and politicize this mechanism. Its persistent scheming to obstruct Taiwan’s pragmatic participation is despicable.
MOFA urges the international community to take concrete steps to recognize Taiwan’s contributions to climate change mitigation, support its inclusion in the UNFCCC mechanism and post-Paris Agreement negotiations, and allow it to play a greater role in global efforts to reach net-zero emissions.