President Chen Shui-bian (
The president said that Taiwan should not lower its guard and indulge itself in the idea that China's so-called "three-links" and "cross-strait direct flights" mean that tensions have subsided.
"Among others, we must face up to a series of recent incidents in which ships from China had sailed close to or even trespassed into Taiwan's territorial waters, a move that undermined the peace across the Strait," Chen said.
The president commended the marines' efforts in safeguarding the country's security. He then encouraged them to shoulder their responsibility as part of the nation's armed forces, set up command links to consolidate their unity and to facilitate the interaction between the military and civilians in support of national defense.
Chen made the comments after reviewing an anti-terrorism drill at the southern naval base of Tsoying in Kaohsiung in the wake of Jiang's speech at the 16th Communist Party Congress which kicked off yesterday.
Jiang reiterated China's refusal to rule out the use of force while outlining the Chinese position on Taiwan.
"Our position of never undertaking to renounce the use of force is not directed at our Taiwan compatriots," Jiang said.
"It is aimed at the foreign forces' attempts to interfere in China's reunification and the Taiwan separatist forces' schemes for Taiwan independence," Jiang said.
In the speech, Jiang also called for renewed dialogue with Taiwan, using gentler language than usual but still not wavering from the "one China" principle.
"Here we reiterate our appeal: On the basis of the `one China' principle, let us shelve for now certain political disputes and resume cross-strait dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible," Jiang said. "The Taiwan question must not be allowed to drag on indefinitely."
Chen's comments were widely viewed as a response to Jiang's remarks.
Chen emphasized that military forces, or the threat of missiles and war, could not be used as bargaining chips in dealing with cross-strait affairs. Otherwise, the president argued, any talk of peace and interacting on an equal footing would ring hollow.
"On the other hand, everybody must realize that if we do not have adequate national defenses, the PRC will have our government and people at its beck and call," he said. "If we can't defend our national security, why would China negotiate with us?"
Meanwhile, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday that Taiwan welcomes cross-strait dialogue without preconditions but added the "one country, two systems" formula has no appeal to its people.
"I also hope that the two sides can sit down and talk on any subject including the `one China' issue," the premier said in the legislature when asked by a lawmaker to comment on Jiang's speech.
"But the talks should not have preset conditions," he said, referring to Beijing's insistence that the DPP government recognize that Taiwan is part of China before resuming dialogue.
Commenting on Jiang's call for the resumption of cross-strait talks, Yu reiterated to the legislature that the ROC, having its own constitution, territory, government and people, is an independent sovereignty and that "the one country, two systems" solution proposed by China has no support here.
Polls consistently show an majority of the Taiwanese people prefer to maintain a self-governing status and reject Beijing's offer of autonomy based on the Hong Kong model.
The premier declined to pass judgment on the ongoing leadership shuffle in China, saying it is a domestic concern of another country. He added that the defense ministry has been keeping a close eye on military maneuvers across the Strait.
In addition, Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
"We expect that China's new leadership can deal with cross-strait relations with a pragmatic attitude. They should face the fact of the ROC's existence and establish constructive and cooperative relations with Taiwan," Chen said in a news conference yesterday.
He said that the PRC and the ROC do not belong to each other and cannot represent each other. "This is a fact. If China can't face this fact, it won't help the two sides develop positive relations," Chen said.
He also pointed out that military force could not resolve problems with historical roots.
Also see stories:
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary