Back to Top

header image
Date: 7 October, 2021
Issue No.017



TEF Newsletter (Issue No.017)
October 2021


ASIA PACIFIC KAIROS
A prophetic call to journey together with the PCT in pursuit of justice and peace for the people of Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific


“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8


ISSUE 017

 We are delighted to send you this latest Newsletter since the March issue. We pray that each of you has been keeping safe and healthy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Let us hope that it will soon be eradicated before it claims more lives and perpetuates more devastation.

Change in TEF Co-convenorship

At the Steering Group meeting on August 12, the Steering Group members had an occasion to bid a reluctant and sad farewell to Dr. Collin Cowan who had served as a Co-convenor since the TEF inception in February 2018. He ended his term as the General Secretary at the Council for World Mission (CWM). The SG members praised Dr. Cowan’s excellent leadership and his commitment to the TEF while the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), Rev. Hsu expressed his church’s deep gratitude for Dr. Cowan’s willingness to speak out about the injustices that the people of Taiwan have had to endure in the international arena.
As the TEF co-convenor, Dr. Cowan is succeeded by Dr. Jooseop Keum whom Dr. Cowan introduced to the SG. Dr. Keum was warmly welcomed by the SG members. He told the SG that he was honoured to serve as a co-convenor and promised his commitment to the TEF.

Matters arising from the Minutes

    1. The Theological Reflection Working Group (TRWG) appointed Dr. Roderick Hewitt as its Convenor. The SG expressed its thanks to the Interim Convenor, Prof. Huang Po-Ho. The first TRWG meeting took place on March 23, 2021.
    2. Ms. Rachel Tan of the planning committee of the Convocation of the Indigenous Peoples, Women and Youth reported that it continued to draw up something practical like an action plan for easy followed up.
    3. Building Alliances in Taiwan:
      - Make visits to the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in Taiwan. It was noted that the Taiwan Lutheran Church is part of the Lutheran World Federation.
    4. PCT/China Christian Council Relationship Working Group:
      The TEF Core Group met in September and decided that this working group will be convened when the ecumenical climate is more conducive for a productive conversation about the next steps. Members of this working group are: Sandy Sneddon (chair), Christof Theilemann, Dianna Wright, Jochen Kirsch, Nancy Lin, Giong-Un Ting, Christopher Ferguson, Jooseop Keum, and Rex Reyes.
    5. The SG encouraged the PCT to continue the planning to engage the new USA Biden administration. It also urged Dr. Levi Bautista, the President of the Conference of NGOs in consultative status with the United Nations, to raise concerns about Taiwan’s isolation internationally and exclusion by the UN to allow Taiwanese people to visit the UN as tourists. The PCT hopes very much that its partner churches around the world would facilitate similar advocacy with their governments noting that there has been a groundswell of interest in Scandinavia and in the EU.

PCT Update:


The Moderator ask the SG to continue to uphold Rev. Lyim Hong-Tiong in prayers. In relation to TEF the following personnel completed their term of service with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan as of 30 June 2021:

　　Rev. Lyim Hong-Tiong　　PCT General Secretary
　　Rev. Chhoa Lam-Sin 　　　PCT Acting General Secretary/Associate General Secretary
　　Rev. Lian Chin-Siong (Joshua) 　　　PCT Programme Secretary for Ecumenical Relations
　　Ms Lin Wan-Jou 　　　PCT Assistant for Ecumenical Relations

In addition to General Secretary, Rev. Chen the following PCT new appointments (1 July 2021) are noted.

　　Rev. Sudu Tada      　PCT Associate General Secretary
　　Mrs. Nancy Lin           PCT Programme Secretary for Ecumenical Relations

　　Ms Rachel Chen        PCT Assistant for Ecumenical Relations

The Theological Reflection Working Group (TRWG) Concept Paperwas circulated for the SG meeting on August 12. Comments were solicited from the members.  None was received. The TEF Core wrote to the chair, Dr. Hewitt, to indicate that it was now approved and should be the basis for the ongoing work of the TRWG and the SG.  Interested readers of the Newsletter should write to Carys Humphreys (carys@mail.pct.org.tw) to request a copy.

Recent Developments related to Taiwan

    1. The US Congress passed the Taiwan Assurance Act of December 29, 2019. This is an extreme significant development in the relationship between Taiwan and the USA. It supports the deepening of ties in this language:

      “The US should conduct regular sales and transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order to enhance its self-defense capabilities, particularly its efforts to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, including undersea warfare and air defense capabilities, into its military forces.”

      In terms of Taiwan’s exclusion from international organizations due to Beijing’s opposition, the US Congress believes such a situation is detrimental to global health, civilian air safety and efforts to counter transnational crime, as well as having a negative impact on Taiwan’s democracy.

      The act stresses that it is the policy of the US to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN, WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and other international bodies, as appropriate. The US should also advocate for Taiwan’s membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement for membership.

    2. Taiwan’s attempt to purchase vaccines for its 23 million people remained controversial. Taiwan blames “external forces” for blocking its BioNTech vaccine deal. But China has denied its interference. After much controversy, Taiwan and BioNTech signed a deal for 5 million vaccine doses in December 2020. It had secured nearly 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, including 4.76 million through the COVAX initiative, and 10 million from AstraZeneca. The stalling of the deal between Taiwan and BioNTech is the latest example highlighting the difficulties in the global distribution of vaccines, which health experts say is integral to ending a pandemic that has killed more than 4.5 million worldwide.

      Taiwan has been a rare success in the fight against coronavirus, thanks to its swift action to ban incoming travel from mainland China at the onset of the outbreak in Wuhan, as well as imposing strict border controls and quarantine requirements throughout the pandemic.

    3. Taiwan must be included in talks says the EU and the USA During his first overseas trip as president, US President Joe Biden on June 15 met European Commission and Council presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel. In a historic communique between the EU and the USA, Taiwan was mentioned for the first time. In their joint statement, it:

      • stressed a mutual interest in strengthening the rules-based international order and pledged close cooperation in support of democratic values, global and regional stability, and human rights.
      • agreed to continue cooperation regarding “possible joint approaches to bring about positive change in the Indo-Pacific.”
      • in order for their efforts to be comprehensive, effective and sustainable, it recognized that no Indo-Pacific strategy will be inclusive without Taiwan’s participation.
      • recognized Taiwan’s merit as a technologically advanced economy, a thriving democracy and a member of the WTO, led by a democratically elected government that can contribute as a legitimate member of the international community.
      • will take a greater amount of political will to treat Taiwan as a genuine partner.
      • acknowledged that embracing Taiwan’s tech prowess will help align their priorities in the region.
      • noted that it is in their interests to engage Taiwan, and to advance common approaches toward 5G and AI as technical standards are set.
    4. Taiwan’s soft power was in full display in April, when the EU for the first time co-hosted a Global Cooperation and Training Framework workshop with Taiwan and the US to discuss a restructuring of the global supply chain. Launched in 2015, the framework aims to bring Taiwan’s expertise to the global stage, as it remains excluded from international organizations. This exercise set a precedent for trilateral cooperation with Taiwan, showing a level of readiness, albeit of varying degrees in Washington and Brussels, to see Taiwan as a genuine partner. It can also be seen as a “possible joint approach,” as both sides urged in May, “to bring about positive change in the Indo-Pacific.”

      On June 7, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said trade talks with Taiwan should begin soon. Ultimately, it is the degree to which Beijing will honor its international commitments that will determine how the EU and the US will approach China and Taiwan. Embracing Taiwan is the best “possible joint approach to bring about positive change in the Indo-Pacific.”






台灣普世論壇通訊



亞太新契機：響應PCT先知性呼召、為台灣及亞太人民尋求公義與和平


「世人哪！耶和華已指示你何為善。他向你索要的是什麼呢？只要你行公義，好憐憫，存謙卑的心，與你的神同行。」
彌迦書6章8節


通訊# 17

祈願大家於Covid-19大流行期間平安。我們也懇求疫情盡快消失，期望世界從疫情的陰霾中走出。

TEF人事異動

自2018年2月TEF成立以來，一直擔任TEF共同召集人的CWM總幹事Collin Cowan，於2021年8月卸下TEF召集人一職。8月12日執行小組(SG)會議中，委員們感念他在擔任CWM總幹事期間對於TEF的領導及貢獻。Collin Cowan牧師也於2021年6月卸下CWM總幹事一職。對於Collin Cowan牧師願意公開表達，台灣人民在國際上所遭受的不公，台灣基督長老教會議長徐信得深表感謝。 TEF共同召集人則由2021年7月新上任的CWM總幹事Jooseop Keum牧師接任。Jooseop Keum牧師表示很榮幸能擔任TEF共同召集人，會與TEF一同努力。

相關事項

    1. 神學反思工作小組（TRWG）任命Roderick Hewitt博士為召集人。SG感謝TRWG臨時召集人黃伯和教授初期的協助。TRWG第一次會議於2021年3月23日舉行。
    2. 「TEF青年、原住民及婦女研討會」籌備小組成員陳怡婷報告，因疫情影響，實體研討會目前暫停，會朝視訊會議進行。
    3. 「拓展TEF普世聯盟及社會團體」
      - 已訪問台灣天主教及台灣信義會。台灣信義會是世界信義宗聯盟的會員教會。
    4. 「PCT與中國基督教協會關係」工作小組
      TEF核心小組已於9月召開會議，並決定待更適當的時間，再召開「PCT與中國基督教協會關係」工作小組會議。工作小組的成員有 Sandy Sneddon（主席）， Christof Theilemann，Dianna Wright，Jochen Kirsch，Nancy Lin，Giong-Un Ting，Christopher Ferguson, Jooseop Keum, 和Rex Reyes。
    5. SG鼓勵PCT繼續規劃拜訪美國拜登政府之事宜。可請求美國夥伴教會及美國全國教會協會（NCCCUSA）協調本次訪問。臺灣非政府組織代表團（NGOs）於2018年10月訪問華盛頓DC及紐約時，已奠定了基礎。NGOs當時拜訪了聯合循道會、美國基督長老教會、聯合基督教會的華盛頓辦事處代表們及一些位於紐約的國際非政府組織。此行由非政府組織協會（CoNGO）主席Levi Bautista促成。議程應包括台灣在國際上遭受孤立，以及聯合國不允許台灣人以遊客身分訪問等情形。PCT期望世界各地的夥伴教會能對當地政府促成類似的參訪活動，特別是斯堪的那維亞半島及歐盟部分國家對此曾表達興趣。

PCT近況：

第66屆PCT議長徐信得代表PCT介紹新任總幹事陳信良牧師。陳總幹事表示感謝並期待與TEF一同努力。

議長徐信得請大家繼續為前總幹事林芳仲牧師代禱。有關TEF人事異動，以下人員在2021年6月30日前於PCT的任期結束。

林芳仲牧師                總幹事
蔡南信牧師                代理總幹事/助理總幹事
連振翔牧師                普世委員會幹事
林宛柔助理                普世委員會

除新任總幹事陳信良牧師外，以下是PCT新任人員（2021年7月1日起）。

Sudu Tada牧師  　　　代理總幹事
鄭明敏幹事                　普世委員會
陳怡婷秘書            　　普世委員會


神學反思工作小組（TRWG）的理念文件，已在8月12日SG會議中分享並徵求成員們的想法，目前沒收到任何意見。TEF核心小組議決並通知TRWG主席Hewitt博士，表示該文件已被批准，應成為TRWG與SG的事工基礎。有興趣的讀者可寫信給Carys Humphreys (carys@mail.pct.org.tw)索取。



與臺灣有關的最新動態
    1. 2020年12月29日通過的《台灣保證法》，是台美關係極重要的發展，該法案聲明：

      「對台軍售應常態化，尤其應協助台灣發展及整合不對稱戰力，其中包括水面下作戰及防空戰力；」

      關於台灣因北京反對而被排除在國際組織之外，美國國會認為此情況不利於全球健康議題、民用航空安全及打擊跨國罪犯，且對台灣的民主產生負面影響。

      該法案強調，美國的政策是提倡台灣參與聯合國、世界衛生組織、國際民航組織（ICAO）、國際刑事警察組織（INTERPOL）和其他國際機構。美國也應提倡台灣加入聯合國糧食及農業組織、聯合國教育、科學及文化組織以及其他不以國家為成員條件的國際組織。

    2. 台灣嘗試為其2300萬人口購買疫苗仍有爭議。台灣指責「外部力量」阻撓其BioNTech疫苗交易，但中國否認干預。於2020年12月，台灣和BioNTech簽署500萬劑疫苗供應協議。台灣預計向國際洽購2000萬劑疫苗，其中包括透過武漢肺炎疫苗全球取得機制（COVAX）取得的476萬劑，以及AstraZeneca提供的1000萬劑。台灣與BioNTech之間的疫苗協議停滯不前，恰好凸顯全球疫苗分配困難的例子。衛生專家表示疫苗是結束大流行病的必要條件，COVID-19已造成全球450多萬人死亡。

      台灣在對抗COVID-19上，罕見的成功，這要歸功於武漢爆發疫情時，台灣迅速採取行動，禁止來自中國大陸的旅客入境，並在疫情期間實施嚴格的邊境管制及檢疫要求。

    3. 歐盟與美國表示，台灣必須包括在會談中
      美國總統拜登於6月15日會見歐盟理事會主席Charles Michel及歐盟執委會主席Ursula von der Leyen，會後發表聯合聲明，首次提到台灣。

      歐美峰會聯合聲明:

      • 強調雙方的利益建立在：強化有規則的國際秩序、支持民主價值觀、維護全球與區域穩定及人權。
      • 同意繼續就「可能的聯合方式」進行合作，以實現印太地區的積極改變。
      • 為了讓雙方的努力能被理解、且有效及持續施行，台灣也須參與印太戰略。
      • 承認台灣是技術先進的經濟體、繁榮的民主國家也是世界貿易組織成員，並由一個民選政府所領導。台灣可作為國際社會的合法成員並作出貢獻。
      • 需要強大的政治決心將台灣視為一個真正的夥伴。
      • 承認台灣的科技實力將有助於調整他們在該地區的優先事項。
      • 讓台灣參與符合共同利益，並在製定技術標準時，發展 5G 和人工智能AI的共同方法。

    4. 台灣的軟實力在今年4月得到充分展示，歐盟首次與台灣及美國共同主辦「全球合作暨訓練架構 (GCTF)」研討會，以「全球供應鏈重組與印太區域整合暨中小企業金融與印太區域合作」為題。GCTF於2015年啟動，因台灣仍被排除在國際組織之外，旨在將台灣的專業知識帶進全球。這次研討會開創與臺灣的三邊合作先例，顯示將台灣視為真正夥伴的成熟時機，儘管在華盛頓和布魯塞爾有不同程度的影響。GCTF也可被視為一種「可能的聯合方式」，正如聯合聲明所表示，「以實現印太地區的積極改變。」

      6月7日，美國國務卿Antony Blinken說，將與台灣展開貿易談判。歸根到底，北京政府如何履行國際承諾，將決定歐盟及美國如何看待中國與臺灣。擁抱台灣是最好的「可能的聯合方式，以實現印太地區的積極改變。」










電子報預覽