NEWS
We are not afraid of China, we are battle ready – Taiwan
Taiwan has said that it will not allow any big bully to invade its country because it is a ‘full-fledged democracy’ and no more under any colonial master.
Dismissing fears of possible invasion by China, representative of the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu, who spoke during a conference in Lagos, on the heels of feud that sparked off between the United States and China following recent visit of the U.S. House of Representative Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan, said they’re ready to fight back if provoked.
Describing the Chinese aggression towards the U.S. Speaker’s visit to Taiwan “as irrational, irresponsible and provocative,” Liu disclosed that Taiwan is fully ready for the Chinese invasion, which has been on for the past 50 years.
“Taiwan military build-up has been facing the threat of China for half a century. Taiwan has built one of the strongest missile defence systems in readiness for China. “Almost every day, we have Chinese military aircraft flying around Taiwan, making a kind of harassment, but they never dared to fly over our territorial waters because they know that Taiwan will shoot them down. We will shoot them down immediately they cross over. Not just the military jet-fighter but the missile, because we have built one of the strongest defence missile systems in the world”, Liu said, adding that, “Taiwan has a lot of military build-up prepared for China’s invasion. We have bought a lot of weapons, and are working together with major strategic partners.
“We already have the capability of shooting down any kind of ballistic missile that is an intruder.”Reacting to the feud that erupted as a result of Pelosi’s visit, the Taiwanese envoy said: “The Chinese are making a fool of themselves by being so bullying and being so aggressive around the area because they are not just doing this kind of military threat or any kind of bullying against Taiwan. “They are actually putting direct military pressure on Japan, and even on Korea/ South Korea and now America is taking this seriously. But we have prepared for Chinese invasion for half a century. We don’t fear that. We are well prepared.”
Liu, a retired military officer, while boasting of his nation’s readiness to fight China, made reference to the Biblical David and Goliath, saying: “When Goliath showed up, David had to pick up his weapon immediately. He did not have to rely on or invite anyone to help him. This is what Taiwan has been doing in the past 10 to 15 years.
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“Taiwan has built one of the largest U.S. jet-fighter, largest jet-fighter fleet in the world. We have built our military equipment like naval destroyer, submarine, among others. From air, land and sea and from the sub-marine forces, we are building that for our own protection.
“We have done everything within our power to protect ourselves. We do not have any natural resources. From education, military build-up, high technology industry development, and with good coordination with the rest of the world, we have to defend ourselves. We have our own democracy which we defend seriously.”
While many fear that after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the next will be China’s attack on Taiwan, Liu said: “We are now building our own naval sub-marine. We have already built a lot of naval destroyers and frigates missile firing speed boats. We have the full capability of protecting ourselves because we know that after Russia invaded Ukraine, it taught the world a big lesson that we cannot rely on any of our friends because we cannot drag them into our war against any invader/ army. What NATO and the U.S. have done to help Ukraine demonstrates that Ukrainians are brave enough to pick up weapons and defend their own country”.
“During the first two weeks when Ukraine was invaded by Russia, many people around the world, including the media, thought that China was going to invade Taiwan.”The only thing is that we have been ready for 50 years. If they want to come, they can come and we will fight them off. After months of Russia invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese have not done anything yet, they just keep harassing us and making a fool of themselves. Russia and China are good friends, as well as allies, they demonstrate how the world can view them – as two big bullies, although they present themselves as big brothers.” They are two big bullies. We do not take them lightly. We take them seriously. Even the Ukrainian President said that the world has to be on the lookout after Ukraine, you have to pay attention to Taiwan. “We have prepared for all forms of invasion. That is why we do not rely on other countries to come and help us fight. We fight for ourselves, we are waiting until any kind of invasion comes to Taiwan. But whether the international society will help us, we will see how long that will persist and how sustainable it will be”, he stated.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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