Taiwan exits Central American Parliament after losing observer status
Taiwan exits Central American Parliament after losing observer status
2023-08-22
Taiwan has withdrawn from the Central American Parliament, after the body canceled its permanent observer status on Aug. 21. In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry condemned the parliament’s pro-China members for excluding Taiwan. It said that, to uphold national sovereignty and dignity, Taiwan would withdraw from the organization with immediate effect.
In 2006, then-President Chen Shui-bian conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon to Julio Palacios Sambrano, president of the Central American Parliament.
Two years later, then-President Ma Ying-jeou exchanged honors with the parliament’s president, in a showcase of warm relations. For decades Taiwan was a permanent observer in the Central American Parliament, also known as Parlacen. But following Nicaragua’s motion to eject Taiwan and bring in China, Taiwan has withdrawn from the parliament, effective Aug. 22.
Jeff Liu
Foreign ministry spokesperson
Nicaragua, under the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega, willingly serves as China’s pawn. It incorrectly invoked UN Resolution 2758, manipulating the so-called “one China” principle. Disregarding regional democratic development and the welfare of the local people, it snatched away Taiwan’s rights and interests in the Central American Parliament. This highlights China’s deliberate efforts to undermine democracy in Central America and its ambitions to expand in the region.
In a sharply worded statement, Taiwan’s foreign ministry criticized Nicaragua’s representatives and other pro-China parliamentarians, for conspiring with China to expel Taiwan. It accused them of disregarding Taiwan’s long-term contributions to the body and to Central America’s development, and of dividing the parliamentary body. The ministry stated that, to defend national sovereignty and dignity, it was officially withdrawing from Parlacen. Established in Guatemala in 1991, Parlacen comprises six member states from Central America, plus Taiwan as an observer. The body’s mission is to promote political dialogue, inter-country collaboration, and democratic development in Central America. But after Taiwan lost ties with regional allies like Honduras, China found an opportunity to move in.
Johnny Chiang
KMT lawmaker
The ruling party must take responsibility for this outcome. They should not make citizens feel as if Taiwan is just sitting around waiting for doom, that nothing is being done to change our predicament.
Tsai Shih-ying
DPP lawmaker
China’s so-called National People’s Congress does not have a single representative who was elected by the people. How can such people represent China during the activities of the Central American Parliament? This only goes to show the absurdity of the parliament’s decision. We strongly condemn it. They excluded a democratic legislature and chose a rubber stamp that doesn’t know what an election is.
China has long fought to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. With its latest moves in Parlacen, it’s notched another win for its campaign.
中美洲議會"排台納中" 外交部嚴正抗議:即起正式退出
2023-08-22
我國前友邦尼加拉瓜，今年6月向中美洲議會提案，要撤銷我國立法院作為中美洲議會的’’永久觀察員’’資格，並由中國取而代之，中美洲議會21日上午確定通過該案，外交部則代表政府，表達最嚴正抗議，並強調為了維護國家主權及尊嚴，台灣決定自即日起，正式退出中美洲議會。
2006年，前總統陳水扁特別頒發特種大綬景星勳章，給訪台的中美洲議會議長巴拉西歐景。
兩年後，前總統馬英九也和中美洲議會會長相互贈勳、雙方互動熱絡，因為台灣是中美洲議會永久觀察員，如今卻因尼加拉瓜黨團提出’’排台納中’’案，台灣決定從8月22日起，退出中美洲議會。
[[外交部發言人 劉永健]]
“尼加拉瓜奧德嘉獨裁政權，自甘淪為中國馬前卒，錯誤引用聯大第2758號決議，以及操弄所謂的一中原則，不顧區域民主發展，以及當地人民福祉，謀奪我國在中美洲議會的權益，凸顯中國處心積慮破壞中美洲民主，以及在區域擴張的野心”
外交部聲明痛批，尼加拉瓜黨團及部分親中議員，扈從中國排我陰謀，罔顧我國對議會及中美洲區域統合、發展長期貢獻，不惜分化議會，為維護國家主權尊嚴，決定正式退出中美洲議會。1991年成立的中美洲議會，會址在瓜地馬拉，成員國包括六個中美洲國家和台灣，旨在促進中美洲國家政治對話、推動擴大國家間合作，鞏固民主政治和平，在台灣和宏都拉斯等國斷交後，中國趁機而入。
[[立委(國) 江啟臣]]
“這結果執政黨必須負起責任，而且應該不能只是讓國人感覺，好像在外交上坐以待斃，沒有任何突破性的作為”
[[立委(民) 蔡適應]]
“號稱中國國會的人大會，沒有一個人大代表，是人民選出來的，這樣的人竟然可以代表國會，去參與中美洲議會整個活動，我覺得這只是充分顯示出，整個中美洲議會的決議，非常可笑而已，強烈譴責，排除民主的國會，接納了一個不曉得什麼叫做選舉的橡皮圖章”
中國打壓台灣外交，無所不用其極，如今把黑手伸進中美洲議會，惡行惡狀，再添一例。
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