Two BJP MPs - Meenakshi Lekhi and Rahul Kaswan attended the swearing-in of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen
Bengaluru: In a stern message to China, BJP MPs today virtually attended the swearing-on of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. The two BJP MPs are Meenakshi Lekhi and Rahul Kaswan. They congratulated the Taiwan President on behalf of the Indian government. The move to send the two MPs comes at a time when China claims Taiwan to be its territory.
Additionally, India is also a signatory to the calls for the probe into the genesis of coronavirus.
As many as 92 dignitaries from 41 countries had a virtual presence at the ceremony as foreign visitors are banned in Taiwan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sohang Sen, the acting director-general of India-Taipei Association, who represented India at the ceremony in Taipei also attended the ceremony. India does not have an official diplomatic establishment in Taiwan, the same as 179 of the 194 United Nations members.
“Both India and Taiwan are democratic countries, bonded by shared values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. Over the past years, India and Taiwan have enhanced bilateral relations enormously in wide-ranging areas, especially trade, investment and people to people exchanges,” said the two MPs during their video message, as reported by Republic TV.
In addition to this joint message, Lekhi also sent a separate message to Tsai, which was also played at the ceremony. She congratulated Tsai and wished her “great success” and also talked about “continued strengthening of the comprehensive relations between India and Taiwan”.
As expected, China did not take kindly to the congratulatory messages sent to China.
“We hope and believe that … [they will] understand and support the just cause of Chinese people to oppose the secessionist activities for ‘Taiwan independence’ and realise national reunification,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing, as reported by Republic TV.
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