Taiwan seeks participation in ICAO

Taiwan’s efforts to seek international support for its participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are not in conflict with its pursuit of engagement with China, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Thursday.Taiwan is looking to participate in the ICAO pragmatically, with the aim of protecting travelers’ safety, in light of the large number of flights in and out of the country, said Calvin Ho, deputy director-general of the ministry’s Public Diplomacy Coordination Council.Taiwan’s bid is aimed at enhancing its people’s wellbeing, which is also the focus of the pursuit of a rapprochement between Taiwan and China, Ho said at a MOFA news briefing, in response to questions about China’s opposition to what it said was interference by other countries in Taiwan’s ICAO bid.China on Wednesday expressed disapproval over the introduction of two bills in the U.S. Congress that are seeking to develop strategies for Taiwan to secure a place in the ICAO’s triennial policy meetings this September as an observer. The bills were introduced separately on March 14 by Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.