On March 26, the Chinese Embassy in Belgium condemned the adoption of a Taiwan-friendly resolution by the Belgian Federal Senate. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a statement released March 27, said that the Chinese Embassy in Belgium's statement on Taiwan's sovereignty was untrue, misleading and distorted, and went against the will of the Taiwanese people.
The Belgian Senate voted for the resolution on “strengthening Taiwan's position in the international sphere” on March 26, with 49 votes in favour, 0 against, and 5 abstentions. The resolution, among other things, calls for the Belgian government to work with the European Union to assist Taiwan's participation in international organisations such as the WHO.
After the Senate vote, the Chinese Embassy in Belgium issued a statement on its official website, expressing its strong dissatisfaction, resolutely opposing the adoption of the resolution by Belgium, and strongly condemning it.
In response, MOFA expressed its concern regarding the statement issued by the Chinese Embassy, describing it as containing misleading and distorted statements regarding Taiwan's sovereignty.
MOFA said that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic state, and that sovereignty belongs to the 23.5 million people of Taiwan, who alone have the right to decide the future of Taiwan. The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan and Taiwan is an entity of its own in the international community. This has been the long-standing fact and status quo on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and no matter how much the Chinese government distorts its claims against Taiwan, it cannot change this fact, the ministry added.
MOFA went on to note that the people of Taiwan will continue to be determined in their adherence to sovereignty and democracy, and will continue to work with like-minded partners that share the same democratic values. Likewise, the country will still seek participation in specialised UN bodies, such as the World Health Organisation, in order to make practical contributions to the international community.
In the statement, MOFA also reiterated its gratitude to the Belgian Senate for the overwhelming passage of the resolution, which calls on the Belgian government and the European Union to work together to strengthen Taiwan's international status, 18 years after the last time the Senate passed a Taiwan-friendly resolution.
Finally, the ministry affirmed that it will continue to broaden and deepen bilateral relations with Belgium on the basis of the existing friendship.
translated from the CNA article: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202103270067.aspx
Credit: Taiwan Today Staff photo/Pang Chia-shan
