Latest news with #LaiChingte
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Guatemala president reaffirms support for 'brothers' in Taiwan
TAIPEI, June 5 (Reuters) - Guatemala, one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies, reaffirmed its support for the island on Thursday during a visit by President Bernardo Arevalo, who said his people will walk together with their "brothers" in Taiwan. Guatemala is one of only 12 countries to retain formal ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan and Beijing has been stepping up its campaign to win those nations over to its side. Taiwan says it has every right to forge state-to-state relations and Beijing has no right to interfere. Arevalo, on his first trip to Taiwan since taking office last year, said at a welcome ceremony with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te that the two sides were firm friends and "brotherly peoples". "We thank our ally for the support we have always received over these more than 90 years. We reaffirm the support of the Republic of Guatemala for the Republic of China, Taiwan," he said at the presidential office, referring to the island's formal name. "On behalf of the people of Guatemala, I extend our hand to the people of Taiwan with the confidence that we will walk together along the path toward shared well-being, which we will make more profound and more comprehensive today." Arevalo is being accompanied by his foreign and economics ministers. Lai, standing next to Arevalo, said Taiwan and Guatemala will keep deepening their cooperation "Although our two countries are geographically distant but the ideals and values of the two peoples are closely intertwined," he said. The United States has been concerned about China's efforts to snatch away Taiwan's allies, especially in Latin America. In February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Guatemala's relations with Taiwan while on a visit to the country, saying the United States would help support it. In 2023, Taiwan's then-president, Tsai Ing-wen, went to Guatemala a week after neighbouring Honduras severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing.
CNA
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Taiwan coast guard says 'urgent need' for surveillance tech
TAIPEI: Taiwan's coast guard said on Monday (May 19) there was an "urgent need" for infrared thermal imaging and other technology to detect small boats off the island after it detained two Chinese nationals. A Chinese father and son were picked up after arriving on a beach near Taipei on Friday, days before Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te celebrates his first year in office. The pair had travelled undetected by motorised inflatable boat from China's Fujian province, the coast guard said. "Such boats are not easily detected by radar and the personnel responsible for coastal patrol were patrolling other areas at the time," coast guard spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin told reporters. "There is an urgent need to enhance patrol capabilities using technological support to prevent further undetected illegal entries," he said. There had been five cases involving 38 individuals from China and Vietnam caught illegally entering Taiwan since January, the coast guard said. Hsieh said the coast guard hoped to receive funding from a special budget for infrared thermal imaging equipment as well as drones and artificial intelligence warning systems "to effectively respond to China's increasingly severe grey-zone harassment", Hsieh said. Infrared thermal imagers had been deployed on Kinmen, an outlying archipelago administered by Taiwan, and other places where "landings have happened before". However, a round-the-clock coastal surveillance system "with no blind spots" would require "substantial funding", he said. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. Taiwan accuses China of using "grey-zone" tactics – actions that fall short of an act of war – to weaken its defences. Hsieh said more Chinese people were arriving illegally on Taiwan's main island than in the past and that it could be part of China's "cognitive warfare". It was possible Beijing would "again use similar tactics" to "disrupt public morale" as Lai marks the first anniversary of his inauguration on Tuesday, Hsieh said.
