Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
"We think the US is worried this [referendum] is only a first step, and they are trying to understand what the next step will be," Chiou said, adding Washington fears the nation's flag, name, and status quo may be changed.
Chiou and his deputy, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), invited foreign media for tea at the Presidential Office and elaborated on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent campaign promises, including plans for a referendum and new constitution.
Chen intends to hold the referendum on the same date as the presidential election, March 20, to demand that China remove its missiles aimed at Taiwan and renounce the use of force against Taiwan.
understanding
Chiou said communication between Taiwan and the US remains close, but admitted that Chen's administration has yet to convince Washington to support the referendum.
"We will let them understand that even the next [step] is fine," he said.
Chen announced on Sept. 28 that he will lead the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to push for a new constitution.
In October, he provided a timetable, saying the party would develop a draft constitution by the end of 2006, put the draft to a referendum and implement a new constitution in 2008.
Chiou said yesterday that Chen's administration will be cautious and rational in writing a new constitution and will not make any radical moves.
"Theoretically, the government has no right to restrain people from proposing changing the country's name," Chiou said, "but the government will focus on 12 items, which we proposed last year, and those items have no relation to independence."
Chiou also said the government will present a draft of the wording of Chen's defensive referendum before the end of this month.
taking message abroad
He said countries such as the US, Japan and those in the EU will understand Taiwan's stance and accept the realization of direct democracy.
"The wording of the referendum will be finalized in late February, but a draft will be proposed in late January," Chiou said.
Wu confirmed yesterday that three special delegations organized by the National Security Council (NSC) will depart on Saturday to the US, Europe and Japan to explain the significance and purpose of the referendum.
"During the nine-day trip, we will meet with think tanks, the media and overseas Taiwanese groups to explain the president's referendum plan as well as the presidential election, democratic development and Taiwan-China ties," he said. "Moreover, they will listen to foreign heavyweights' suggestions and bring those back.
"We hope to make them aware that Taiwan has no intention of changing the status quo," said Wu, who will head the delegation to the US.
Also see story:
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session yesterday while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival- threatening
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
RSS