President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen, who is struggling to appease foes at home and across the Strait, was addressing leaders from overseas pro-independence groups.
"As president, I have to look after the welfare of all of Taiwan's 23 million people," Chen said, appealing for understanding from his overseas allies, some of whom have voiced discontent at what they see as his increasing drift away from their cause. "This duty prevents me from freely speaking my mind."
Hundreds of pro-independence activists from Taiwanese communities around the world flew to Taipei last week and staged a series of events culminating in a rally on Sunday, where they urged Chen not to go soft on the cause of independence for Taiwan.
"Now that I'm in office, I can't renege on my campaign promises or people will feel shortchanged," the president said.
To stay above partisan rows, Chen has distanced himself from his party, the DPP.
Lin You-hsin (
But Chen, whose administration has suffered repeated setbacks in the opposition-dominated legislature, assured his guests he would respect their freedom of speech just as he always respects that of the opposition parties.
"One year after my election, many are still unable to accept the transfer of power," Chen said, adding that democracy is about tolerating differences.
He said that the ban put on a visit to Taiwan by Japanese cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi (小林善紀) was "unbelievable" and that Taiwan, which, he said, had repeatedly conveyed goodwill to China, should never have shut its door on a foreign author, however controversial his book may be.
The president said the tensions with China demanded a practical view of bilateral relations.
"It was former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who broached the concept when he characterized cross-strait ties as `special state-to-state' in nature," Chen said, adding that he was in the process of defining the theory through consensus-building.
Some common ground must be sought among those who seek formal independence for Taiwan and those who support eventual unification with China, Chen said.
Polls show that most people in Taiwan favor the status quo, avoiding any declaration of independence but also balking at any quick moves toward unification with China.
"There's no way to satisfy all sides. Some say we're conceding too much while others say we're not conceding enough," Chen said during an earlier meeting with academics from the US.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a