Vice President of Italian Lower House Meets Taiwan Representative, Voicing Support for Ambassadorial Relations and Calling on Government Not to Submit to China

Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Fabio Rampelli met with Taiwan’s representative to Italy Andrea Sing-Ying Lee on 7 October. In a press release that followed the meeting, Rampelli said he supported Taiwan to officially set up embassy in Italy. He also called on the Italian government not to give in to pressure from China and to strengthen its diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Referring to Lee as the “Ambassador of Taiwan,” Rampelli noted that the meeting, which he said was sincere and friendly, centred around that fact that Taiwan’s diplomatic mission is not officially recognized by Italy and can only be called an ‘Economic and Trade Office.’ Rampelli said this was because of the continuous pressure from the CCP on Italy and the EU and its unilateral claim that Taiwan was part of China.

Rampelli said he was surprised by the fact that Taiwan cannot have an embassy in Italy and form official diplomatic relations with it. He promised Lee that he would make every effort to enable Taiwan to enjoy fuller, de jure or de facto diplomatic rights in Italy and the EU. He added that he is aware of the pressure from CCP on the Italian government, evident from the silence on the Hong Kong national security law from Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.

Source: Apple Daily #Oct09

#Italy #Taiwan #China #FabioRampelli #AndreaSingYingL #Diplomacy

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Indonesia Refuses Landing of US Military Aircrafts for Refuels, Vows to “Remain Neutral” amid Growing Sino-American Tensions

Reuters quoted four high-ranking Indonesian officials on 20 October as saying that Indonesia had refused earlier this year to let America’s P-8 patrol aircrafts land and refuel. It was claimed that Indonesia wished to “remain neutral” diplomatically as it had always been amid the increasingly fierce competition between the US and China.

The report quoted the sources as saying that US officials had repeatedly contacted Indonesia’s defence and foreign ministers at a “high level” in July and August. According to the sources, the US was seeking permission to land and refuel its P-8 maritime patrol aircrafts, responsible for monitoring China’s actions in the South China Sea. The request was denied by Indonesian president Joko Widodo.

The report said the request surprised Indonesia, which had remained neutral diplomatically and had never allowed foreign military activities in its territory as the sources noted. As US-China tensions mount in Southeast Asia, Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said in September that Indonesia did not wish to be involved in their competition.

Source: Apple Daily #Oct20

#Indonesia #US #China #SoutheastAsia #SouthChinaSea #JokoWidodo #RetnoMarsudi #Military #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/31McdyX

Allies Support Taiwan’s Admission to UN in Joint Letter to Secretary-General

Calls for Taiwan’s admission to the UN from the international community intensify. Following the 75th session of the UN general assembly, 10 of the countries with which Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations submitted a petition to the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres on 10 October in protest of Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN and made three demands.

The 10 signatories demanded that the UN immediately address the exclusion of 23 million Taiwanese from the organization. They also requested the UN to address the fact that Taiwanese citizens and media organizations are unjustly denied the right to access the UN headquarters for sightseeing and attending or covering conferences and events. The signatories further asked the UN to ensure that Taiwan can participate in and contribute to conferences, mechanisms, and activities relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) equally and with dignity.

The 10 signatories are Belize, Eswatini, Haiti, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Tuvalu. Four other countries—Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Paraguay—made a petition individually. At the general assembly, 12 out of 15 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies voiced support for Taiwan’s admission to the UN during general the debate.

Source: Apple Daily #Oct10

#Taiwan #UN #Guterres #UN75 #Diplomacy

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Trudeau Claims No Fear of China’s “Coercive Diplomacy”, Vows to Keep Speaking Out on Situation in Hong Kong and Other Global Human Rights Issues

The Chinese ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu has warned Canada earlier not to grant political asylum to “violent criminals” from Hong Kong. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would not stop speaking out loudly and clearly on global human rights issues, including the situation in Hong Kong and issues surrounding Uyghurs in Xinjiang. He added that he would continue criticizing China’s “coercive diplomacy.”

Just this September, Canada offered political asylum to a couple from Hong Kong and was met with objection from the Chinese government. Cong warned Canada on 15 October that it was unacceptable to offer political asylum to Hongkongers seeking protection from the Hong Kong national security law. Cong added that this move would affect the 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong and the “health and safety” of Canadian companies in Hong Kong.

At a press conference held the following day, Trudeau responded by saying that while Canada did not want to escalate the situation, it would make it clear to its citizens that it would not stop speaking out on global human right issues and tolerate China’s “coercive diplomacy.”

Source: Stand News #Oct17

#Canada #HongKong #China #Trudeau #ConPeiwu #CoerciveDiplomacy #Asylum #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/2Ts8xxL

Sri Lankan Minister Defends Another Loan from China, Says “China Happens to Have the Cash”

Sri Lanka is seeking a loan of 700 million US dollars (approximately 5.4 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China. As the opposition and dissidents expressed their concerns about the government’s reliance on China, the Minister of Money, Capital Market and Public Enterprise Reform Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal defended the loan by saying that it was because “it’s China that happens to have the cash now.”

In an interview with The Hindu, Cabraal said, “In different times in world history, different countries have been the ones who have had the most amount of cash. And now it happens to be China, so China will naturally invest all over the world.…I think we should all respect that.”

Despite the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) estimate that Sri Lanka’s GDP would shrink by 7% this year due to the Wuhan virus pandemic, Cabraal was optimistic about the financial situation in Sri Lanka. He said that the country was seeking different ways to repay its debts, including getting more loans from China, securing a currency swap mechanism with China and India, and issuing samurai and panda bonds.

The Director of the CCP’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi is visiting Sri Lanka this month. Following the 500 million US dollars (approximately 3.9 billion Hong Kong dollars) that China gave Sri Lanka just this March to fight the Wuhan virus, the South Asian country is discussing another loan with the Chinese delegation. The country has so far borrowed over 5 billion US dollars (approximately 38.8 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China.

#SriLanka #China #AjithNivardCabraal #YangJiechi #Finance #Diplomacy #WuhanVirus #COVID19 #Pandemic

Source: Apple Daily #Oct20

https://bit.ly/2IZzZkv

Chinese Customs Detain Tonnes of Australian Lobsters at Airport amid Renewed Trade Tensions

In a new round of trade tensions between Australia and China, lobsters have taken centre stage. Australian officials revealed that that Chinese customs had recently detained tonnes of Australian lobsters at an airport, claiming that they had to be inspected for their metal content. It was feared that they would die prematurely being unable to be delivered on time. Australia warned China that discrimination against their products constitutes violations of trade agreements and may be met with a complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Chinese foreign ministry responded by saying that the lobsters had been quarantined in accordance with the law.

The Australian trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said on 2 November that he was aware of clearance issues with “premium shellfish” exported to China and was working closely with the industry. Birmingham warned China that discrimination against Australian products is a violation of WTO rules and the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA).

Noting that China was inspecting 50 to 100 percent of the lobsters imported from Australia in the name of testing for metals, the Australian agriculture minister, David Littleproud, emphasized that the lobsters had been checked before being exported and that there is no need for China to do so again, hinting further at a possible complaint to the WTO. Australian exporters worried that the lobsters might spoil before reaching restaurants or hotels if they are stuck in the process for too long. Most exporters have already stopped exporting lobsters to China.

Source: Apple Daily #Nov02

#Australia #China #Lobster #Customs #Trade #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/3eMffZp

Pompeo Says Taiwan Has Never Been Part of China, Spokesperson for Taiwan’s President Calls It Undisputed Fact

Speaking about cross-strait issues in a radio interview on 12 November, American time, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said Taiwan is a "model for democracy" and that America’s commitment to Taiwan cuts across party lines, adding that “Taiwan has not been a part of China”. This is a shift from the position taken by the US since it made its three joint communiqués with China in the 1970s and 80s.

Spokesperson of Taiwan’s presidential office, Chang Tun-han, said on the morning of 13 November that he is aware of Pompeo's remarks and that it is an indisputable fact that the Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign state. He said it has always been Taiwan’s cross-strait and regional policy that the two sides along the Strait should work together to maintain peace and stability in the region on the basis of mutual respect, adding that Taiwan will continue to fulfil its international obligations and contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Taiwan Strait and the region.

Source: Stand News #Nov13

#US #Taiwan #RepublicofChina #ROC #MikePompeo #ChangTunHan #USTaiwanRelations #TaiwanPresidentialOffice #TaiwanStrait #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/2Hp7o7M

China Reaches World’s Largest Free-Trade Agreement with 14 Countries and Set to Wield More Influence, US Urges Japan and Korea Not to Go Silent on Human Rights Issues

As the trade war between China and the US continues, China formally signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 15 November. Covering 30% of the global population and one-third of the world’s trade volume and economic output, the RCEP is considered the largest free-trade agreement in the world.

With the US withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), it is believed that China would assume leadership of the RCEP and increase its influence in Asia in doing so. The US stated earlier that it hopes that Japan and Korea, both in the RCEP, will remain vocal in support of human rights and democracy in China despite the partnership.

Source: Stand News #Nov15

#US #Japan #Korea #China #RCEP #Trade #Diplomacy #HumanRights

https://bit.ly/33mz0Cl

O’Toole Slams “Weak” Trudeau Again, Calls for Banning Huawei from 5G Projects in Canada in 30 Days

Erin O’Toole, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, called on the Liberal government on Sunday, 15 November to take a stronger stand on the use of Huawei’s technology and other China-related issues.

O’Toole revealed in an interview that the Conservative Party is ready to table a motion requiring the federal government to ban Huawei from participating in the construction of Canada’s 5G network within 30 days. He added that they will also call on the government to set out new strategies targeting such issues as China’s growing influence and its intimidation of Canadians.

Commenting that Trudeau had been too close to China in the past, O’Toole said the Liberal Party needs to be honest with Canadians and their allies. He continued that hundreds of Canadians are feeling the influence of the CCP at home and that the citizens need a responsible and principled leader.

When asked if Canada is ready for retaliation should it become harder on China, O’toole emphasized that Canada needs to cooperate with the rest of the Five Eyes to counter China in such areas as the economy.

“In the last 20 years, all parties, all democratic countries tried to engage, hoping that China, in the WTO and other things, would start moving towards respect for rule of law, for human rights. It’s gone the opposite,” said O’Toole. “So when things are not working after a generation, it’s time for some leadership to take a different approach.”

Source: Apple Daily #Nov16

#Canada #China #CCP #FiveEyes #ConservativeParty #LiberalParty #Huawei #ErinOToole #JustinTrudeau #Diplomacy

https://bit.ly/2VuiBqZ

Australian Economy Is Too Dependent on China and Needs Diversification, Says Senate Opposition Leader

Under Australia's new foreign relations law, which allows the federal government to veto pacts between states and overseas governments or institutions, it is expected that agreements on the ‘Belt and Road’ (‘B&R’) initiative and Confucian Institutes between local governments and China will be voided. Penny Wong, leader of the opposition Labor Party in the Senate, said on 7 December that she hopes the federal and Victorian governments will have “sensible discussions” regarding the latter’s ‘B&R’ agreement. While stressing the need for a new economic strategy where Australia will work with other countries, Wong fell short of signalling a revocation of Victoria’s ‘B&R’ agreement.

As Victoria’s ‘B&R’ agreement with China faces the prospect of being suspended, Wong said in an interview with the ABC that she thinks the federal government “should try to resolve this in a way that respects engagement with the state government and that recognises that China will observe how this is handled carefully”.

Adding that the Labor Party supports the Liberal government in opposing Victoria’s ‘B&R’ initiative, Wong did not indicate specifically that the agreement will be unilaterally cancelled. Wong suggested that instead of considering how Australia can fix its relationship with China, it needs a strategy to diversify its economy and cooperate with other countries in the region given that it is now too reliant on China.

Source: Stand News #Dec07

#Australia #Victoria #China #OneBeltOneRoad #BeltAndRoad #PennyWong #Labor #Diplomacy #Economy #Trade

https://bit.ly/38ES1Sa