Despite facing international challenges, Taiwan has remained firm in upholding the core values of democracy and freedom, showing strong resilience and safeguarding the nation’s sustainable development.
That was part of the message that Taiwan ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Calvin C.H. Ho brought at an event in Kingstown, to celebrate Taiwan’s 108th national day, observed two days later, on Oct. 10.
Her said that “Made in Taiwan” is no longer a term limited to components and original equipment manufacturer production.
“… it now represents a new economic development model centred on innovation, artificial intelligence, green energy, and advanced technologies,” he told the gathering in Kingstown.
He said that going forward, Taipei will continue to pursue policies that promote national prosperity and public wellbeing, so as to upgrade and transform Taiwan’s economy.
“Maintaining global and regional economic stability and collective security is a growing concern for many governments worldwide. Over the years, Taiwan has played a crucial and indispensable role in regional development, and enjoys high levels of connectivity and complementary relations with many countries in the region,” Ho said.
He said that as a mature democracy, Taiwan also plays a responsible and constructive role in the international community.
“Through diverse international cooperation and humanitarian assistance, we will rely on the strengths of our non-governmental organisations and coordinate with the United Nations’ SDGs as we spread our warm power in a positive, pragmatic, and sincere manner.
“My government will also continue to work with Taiwan’s industries in a concerted effort to share our soft power in areas such as smart technology and innovation, agriculture, culture, health care, education, and social welfare. In this way, we will continue to be an indispensable partner across the globe, making substantial and meaningful contributions,” he said.
Taiwan celebrated its 108 National Day at a time when the two major political parties in SVG are divided in their support for the Asian nation, with which Kingstown had maintained 38 years of unbroken ties.
At the event, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party reiterated his support for Kingstown-Taipei ties.
He further urged the main opposition New Democratic Party to reconsider its announced intention to end the relationship with Taiwan and establish formal ties with China, if elected to officer.
Ho said SVG and Taiwan share many similarities in geography and history, adding that the both peoples “are diligent and optimistic, and do share and embrace the value of democracy and freedom”.
He noted that Kingstown and Taipei established diplomatic links on Aug. 15, 1981, adding that since then, the friendship between both countries has become ever stronger.
“During the past three to four decades, our cooperation has been bearing juicy fruits in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, public health and health care, information and communication, education, human resources and cultural exchange.
“The development of Taiwan used to be based on farming; agriculture is always an important sector. The agriculture cooperation is one of the pillars that demonstrate the solidarity between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Taiwan,” Ho told the gathering, which included scored of persons who have benefitted from training in Taiwan or provided by Taiwanese experts.
“We have seen numbers of agricultural project that were successfully implemented. The ‘Banana Revitalisation Project’, which both our governments have signed early May this year, will share Taiwan’s agricultural know-how to work closely with Vincentian farmers to combat the local banana disease and revitalize its banana industry,” he said at the event, whose decorations included ripe bananas arranged to form of two Chinese characters for “10”, representing “Double Ten”, as Taiwan’s national day is often referred.
Ho said that in the field of information communication technology, Taiwan and SVG are collaborating on the new “eBus/CCTV Project”, which will facilitate Vincentian public to commute efficiently.
“This project makes St. Vincent and the Grenadines not only the first country using smart transportation system in the Caribbean region, it also helps the police authority to keep order with modern ICT technology through CCTV,” Ho said.
In the field of public health, “Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes” was launched in February 2018.
“Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes are never easy to tackle. It is also one of the most common diseases in Taiwan. Nevertheless, in Taiwan, we established a framework, which integrates various levels of health facilities to strengthen the capacity of prevention and control. The fruitful results have been demonstrated on the side event in the 72nd session of the World Health Assembly this year,” Ho said.
Ho also spoke about other cooperation in the health sector, including the medical teams from Taiwan’s Mackay Memorial Hospital and Changhua Christian Hospital, adding that SVG’s Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and Mackay Memorial Hospital delegation have signed a memorandum of understanding to formalise a sister hospital relationship.
“… as we celebrate the 108th birthday of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to take this opportunity to once again express our sincere appreciation to the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the true friendship we have both long cherished. I assure you that we will continue to further strengthen this relationship for years to come,” Ho said.
In observing a quote of Calvin C.H. Ho that “Taiwan has remained firm in upholding the core values of democracy and freedom, showing strong resilience and safeguarding the nation’s sustainable development”. It however would appear that the family regime of the Gonsalves, have not learnt much from Taipei, as our democracy have taken a profound dive since they took hold of it here as is evidenced in the on-going court proceedings that is yet to see a conclusion.
Another noticeable quote of Calvin C.H. Ho is “that “Made in Taiwan” is no longer a term limited to components and original equipment manufacturer production. … it now represents a new economic development model centred on innovation, artificial intelligence, green energy, and advanced technologies,”
Again, the family dictatorship here did not learn much there either from Taipei, for “Made in SVG” is well and truly dead and non-existent. We just simply beg our way around the world, as begging on a grand scale, is now truly our modus operandi.
But most damning of all for any proud listener in the audience, must be this quote; “going forward, Taipei will continue to pursue policies that promote national prosperity and public wellbeing, so as to upgrade and transform Taiwan’s economy”. And what an indictment indeed it is to us here in SVG!
For now near on 20 years, the majority of our potential working population, have had to migrate to find work. The family dictatorship here, infected with nepotism and cronyism, have neither transformed nor upgraded our economy. And as to prosperity and public wellbeing, the hospital, the Courts and thus the graveyards reflects our sorry plight under this family dictatorship.
One notes with sadness, that it is mainly those Vincentians who now resides and work abroad, who are hailing as wonderfully delightful, our proposed seat on the UN non-permanent Security Council for a two year stint. These expats, who no doubt have jobs and accommodations abroad, could see themselves boasting at dinner parties, that their birth country, will soon be sitting for a two year stint on the UN non-permanent Security Council. Bravo, Bravo!
But one must ask, whose interest such a position on the Council will be serving. The majority of potential Vincentian workers would still be out of work, food would still be absent from the table, we will still have bad roads, frustration and strife in our communities, under resourced Hospital and police service and a family run dictatorship in government, narrowly pursuing its own failed ideology and begging its way across the world annually to plug the hole in our national expenditure.
Nevertheless, we must be ever thankful for whatever assistance we gets from Taipei. However, Taipei no doubt, according to Calvin C.H. Ho, is truly addressing its own national objectives of security and wellbeing. But while doing that, Taipei has to keep a keen eye on Mainland China whose objective is fully declared. Reunification and by force if necessary and soon too.
Indeed, for its part, “China has marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with a display of its military might, highlighting a number of key advanced military capabilities. The message was clear to the US, and to China’s neighbours in Asia. China is a fully developed state, with an advanced military capability designed to allow Beijing to challenge US strategic primacy”.
Advanced new weaponry lets China steal a march on rivals and exposes US Navy in the Pacific
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/01/analysis-chinas-military-parade-should-raise-alarm-us/
Bearing juicy fruit but not in Jehovah Jesus Christ eyes each country is known also by the the God they Worship and serve and has been separated by Jehovah God how could a Christian nations have ties with the Heathen nations think on this matter the God of S.VG is Who? this is a mockery what was in the beginning so shall it be in the end . the Christian just don’t know who they are yet the only God we know and serve is Jehovah Jesus Christ what a shame Christian!!
James H would you prefer Taiwan to be the next Hong Kong? It will be a sad day if that happens. Democracy is always better than communism. What China practice schedule is not even communism but dictatorship base on capitalism.
Just what is your point JB? You do appear to be intent on shooting the messenger JB! If you must comment, please do comment if you will, on the above issues that was there raised.
Starting with our own lack of democratic government, rampant in house nepotism in the existing family run regime here that passes as our government, coupled with gross crony-capitalism here to-boot.
Added to those are the poor delivery of administrative services on the part of government in an overtaxed, half dead economy that is SVG’s, but yet there is profound elation here, at prospect of a two year stint on a U.N body that will not put food on our table, nor clean-up our streets, while the majority of SVG’s potential working population is sadly out of work and scrunting.
But one assumes that diehards sycophants like you JB don’t notice these things! You are happy with your plantation life!