On Wednesday, President Chen Shui-bian (
Of the seven points, the third stands out, because it stipulates that all cross-strait exchanges should conform to existing laws.
Anyone who signs an agreement with any government abroad or "across the Strait," or sends an envoy as signatory, without authorization from the government, should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (
If Chiang is not indicted, how will we stem the pan-blue camp's enthusiasm about China, push back the influx of Chinese propaganda and expose Beijing's goodwill gesture to Taiwanese farmers for what it is? Chiang must be brought to justice.
The third point is similar to Article 113 of the Criminal Code, but it backs up the definition of foreign governments by including the phrase "across the Strait."
The point is that the Beijing administration is a foreign government and it is evident that Chiang broke the law by heading a delegation to China and signing a 10-point agreement with Chen Yunlin (
Defending Chiang and his party, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
If the People's Republic of China (PRC) is not a foreign country, is it part of "our" country?
The Ministry of Justice will have to respond to Chen's guidelines. Minister of Justice Morley Shih (
In all honesty, Chiang's actions are already in blatant violation of existing law. If Chiang is found guilty, he will be facing a sentence of between seven years and life in jail.
Whether or not KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Since Taiwan obeys the rule of law, the case will simply have to be played by the book.
However, it is certain that Chiang will defend himself by quoting Ma's statement that "China is not a foreign country to us." Therefore, the Council of Grand Justices will have to come forward and interpret or clarify the Constitutional issue what of "one China" means.
I believe that the Republic of China and the PRC are two countries. Each side is independent of the other.
Chiang's meeting with Chinese officials and the conclusion of the 10-point agreement obviously violated the law.
If the Council of Grand Justices were to issue an interpretation of the Constitution, it will help to clearly define the difference between Taiwan and China and resolve a political dispute through legal means.
Chin Heng-wei is a political commentator and editor-in-chief of Contemporary magazine.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.