President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday praised the Kinmen Agreement signed by Taipei and Beijing 20 years ago for establishing a way to peacefully resolve cross-strait issues, adding that this model continues to be used, as is shown by the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
The Kinmen Agreement was signed by the Red Cross from both sides of the Taiwan Strait on the Kinmen islets on Sept. 12, 1990. Representatives discussed the thorny issue of repatriating criminals, smugglers or fugitives under the spirit of humanity and practicality.
“This was the first time authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait openly resolved problems in a peaceful manner,” Ma said in his weekly video address.
“It set the model of cross-strait negotiations: seeking common ground while reserving differences,” he said.
In the video, Ma conversed with Red Cross Society of the Republic of China head C.V. Chen (陳長文) to mark the 20th anniversary of the accord.
Chen said once the main direction of bilateral negotiations was set, the rest was easy.
If there were any difficulties when the two sides inked the 1990 agreement, Chen recalled there were two technical problems both sides needed to iron out.
First was the title of the signatories, he said, and the two sides decided to steer clear of politically sensitive terms such as the Republic of China or People’s Republic of China.
“Had we dwelled on that issue, we would not have accomplished anything,” he said.
Second was the year appearing on the pact, he said. Chen said the two sides decided that Taiwan used the Republic of China calendar year, while China used the Gregorian calendar.
Ma recognized both sides for making efforts to “face reality, shelve disputes and create a win-win scenario.”
He added he was glad that such a model continues to be used today and cited the ECFA as the most recent example.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS