A Lecture by Foreign Minister Yang 淡江大小事

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A Lecture by Foreign Minister Yang

Date 2012-04-25 4029 Clicks

FENG, WEN-HSING

On April 25, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of China, Timothy Yang, came to the TKU Tamsui Campus to deliver a lecture on “New Opportunities and Strategies in ROC Foreign Diplomacy”.

During his speech, he described in detail the evolution of the current foreign policy known as “flexible diplomacy”. He noted that “due to the mutual economic reliance of the US and China, as well as China’s push to further develop its economy, Taiwan must adopt a foreign policy that emphasizes peace and harmony”. In this vein, in recent years Taiwan has worked to improve its diplomatic relationship with all countries. Thanks to its efforts in promoting flexible diplomacy, the Taiwan-US relationship is closer than ever, with the US renewing its vow to ensure Taiwan’s security and listing it among the countries being considered for visa-exemptions to the US.

Holders of the ROC passport can now land in 127 countries without requiring a visa; an increase of 135% since President Ma Ying-jeou came to office four years ago. The ROC Foreign Ministry is also working to gain formal status recognition from major international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

At the conclusion of Foreign Minister Yang’s speech, the President of Tamkang University, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, noted the effect of such foreign policy achievements on higher education. “Foreign diplomacy is not just an extension of the defense force, but is inextricably linked with education. Advancements in foreign diplomacy enable us more flexibility in promoting international exchange and interaction among our overseas partner universities.

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