An official of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) urged the new leadership of China yesterday to adopt a more pragmatic approach in dealing with cross-strait relations.
Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
"We hope that China's new generation of leaders ... continue its policy of liberalization while seeking further development in stability ? we also wish that cross-strait talks could be held as soon as possible without setting any precondition, especially dwarfing Taiwan's status," Chen said.
He said that when China moves toward democracy, freedom and openness, it will benefit peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as cross-strait relations.
In his address to the opening of the party congress last Friday, President Jiang Zemin (
Chen said the main obstacle regarding cross-strait relations lies in China's ignoring the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign state, and he expressed hope that the new leadership will "understand and respect" the democratic mechanism in Taiwan and adopt a more pragmatic approach in dealing with cross-strait relations.
He stressed that Taiwan hopes China will not denigrate Taiwan's stance as a prerequisite to re-opening the stalled cross-strait dialogue and that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can resume talks on related matters as soon as possible, so that both sides can move toward "harmony, stability, and reciprocity."
"We hope they will face the reality of Taiwan's existence and re-open talks with Taiwan to improve bilateral relations," said Chen.
Meanwhile, a KMT official said yesterday that although Jiang has stepped down from his post as the party's general secretary, he has packed the new nine-member standing committee of the Politburo with his allies and can still pull the strings behind the scenes, so that there is therefore no breakthrough in the new leadership.
Chang Jung-kung (
Meanwhile, the Director of the DPP's Department of the Mainland Affairs, Chen Chung-hsin (陳忠信) also expressed his congratulations to the new Chinese leadership for their smooth transition of power yesterday.
"We are glad to see China's leadership transition going smoothly," he said.
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
RESTAURANT POISONING? Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang at a press conference last night said this was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan An autopsy discovered bongkrekic acid in a specimen collected from a person who died from food poisoning after dining at the Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a news conference last night. It was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said. The testing conducted by forensic specialists at National Taiwan University was facilitated after a hospital voluntarily offered standard samples it had in stock that are required to test for bongkrekic acid, he said. Wang told the news conference that testing would continue despite
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)