Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Lo Chi-ming (
Lo said the referendum gives Taiwanese people the chance to make the international community hear their voice.
Yeh, meanwhile, accused President Chen Shui-bian (
The referendum will ask voters: "If China refuses to withdraw the missiles targeted at Taiwan and does not give up its military threats, do you agree that the government should buy more anti-missile weapons and equipment to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities?"
Lo said, "If the result of Taiwan's first referendum is invalid [due to less than 50 percent of eligible voters casting ballots] or if half of voters choose not to enhance the military's anti-missile capabilities, then how could Taiwanese people expect the international community to assist Taiwan in defending itself against China in the future?"
"Those who oppose the referendum use all-out efforts to censure President Chen but say nothing to blame China," Lo said. "They just can't see any threat from those 500 missiles as well as its huge armaments expansion; rather, they point the finger at Taiwan's democratic development."
Yeh, also a former DPP legislator, insisted that the referendum is unconstitutional.
"According to the ROC Constitution, even though the president has the right to issue an emergency decree, it still needs the approval of the Legislative Yuan," Yeh said.
He said Chen's moves will lead to a dictatorship.
"Minister of Defense Tang Yao-ming (
"The ruling DPP and President Chen just try to sway the public by using emotional discourse, such as by saying the referendum is a universal value and a mechanism to secure Taiwan's sovereignty. However, they avoid rational discussion," Yeh said. "How could the president ignore the spirit of the Constitution?"
When asked by moderator Lo Chih-cheng, a political science professor at Soochow University, whether the missile threat shows China's intention to invade Taiwan, Yeh said Taiwan should rely on a political strategy to protect itself rather than on an arms race.
"I believe that China has no capability and inclination to attack Taiwan for the time being," Yeh said.
Lo Chi-ming said that a US evaluation of China's military has already warned that Beijing is prepared to launch military action against Taiwan at any moment.
"Moreover, even the advertisements of the People's Liberation Army clearly used a slogan about liberating Taiwan as soon as possible," Lo said. "How could anybody ignore China's intention?"
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A signaling system malfunction disrupted high-speed rail (HSR) services beginning at 8am today, with trains temporarily reduced to three northbound and three southbound trains per hour as authorities conduct inspections. The malfunction occurred on a section of track in Miaoli County during pre-operation checks early this morning, forcing northbound and southbound trains to use a single track, the HSR operator said. The regular schedule has been replaced with three hourly trains offering only nonreserved seating in each direction, stopping at every station, it said, adding that business class cars would still have reserved seating. Departures from terminal stations are scheduled at the top
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
RSS