Shortly after boarding a chartered flight on the first leg of his seven-day visit to the nation's two diplomatic allies in Central America, President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen's announcement at an altitude of 9,000m follows in the wake of media reports that China had apparently cancelled its military exercise on Dongshan Island after withdrawing some 3,000 troops.
The Han Kuang drill was slated to take place on Sept. 9.
"Some said that it was a goodwill gesture from China," Chen told reporters. "Regardless of what China's intention is, Taiwan definitely fosters goodwill and is sincere in pursuing cross-strait cooperation based on the principle of peace."
"I hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can move toward better cooperation and create a win-win situation," the president said, adding that the decision was made after consulting with Minister of Defense Lee Jye (
Saying that the US and Japan were foes 50 years ago, but have since become good partners, Chen expressed the hope that China and Taiwan would "strive toward persistent peace and goodwill."
At a banquet held in his honor by a Taiwanese expatriate in Honolulu, Chen on Monday stressed that the existence of the Republic of China "is crystal clear."
After a ten-hour flight, Chen and his entourage arrived in Honolulu yesterday for a refueling stop. The president and his entourage were welcomed by hundreds of flag-waving expatriates and a number of political figures, including Hawaiian Attorney General Mark Bennett and Taiwan's representative to the US David Lee (
Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle was not available to meet with Chen during the stopover, as she was attending the Republican Party's national convention in New York.
During the stopover of less than seven hours, Chen made a quick visit to Pearl Harbor's Arizona Memorial.
According to a source, Chen also met William Brown, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, and Democratic Representative Daniel Inouye.
According to the source, Brown said that the decision to cancel the Han Kuang drill "was a gesture of great goodwill" and that "the US welcomes the decision."
Chen and his delegation yesterday departed for Panama to attend the inauguration of Panamanian president-elect Martin Torrijos on Sept. 1.
Chen is slated to travel to Belize on Sept. 2 for an official visit.
Also See Stories:
MOFA denies US intervention
Cancelation intended as olive branch, Lee Jye says
PROVOCATIVE: Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei accused Japan of sending military vessels to deliberately provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait China denounced remarks by Japan and the EU about the South China Sea at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, and accused Tokyo of provocative behavior in the Taiwan Strait and planning military expansion. Ayano Kunimitsu, a Japanese vice foreign minister, told the Council meeting on maritime security that Tokyo was seriously concerned about the situation in the East China and South China seas, and reiterated Japan’s opposition to any attempt to change the “status quo” by force, and obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight. Stavros Lambrinidis, head of the EU delegation to the UN, also highlighted South China Sea
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks. Starting at 12:10am today, reporters observed more than a dozen civilian flatbed trailers departing from Taipei Port, each carrying an M1A2T tank covered with black waterproof tarps. Escorted by military vehicles, the convoy traveled via the West Coast Expressway to the Armor Training Command, with police implementing traffic control. The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM-11 Brave Tiger
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it expects its 2-nanometer (2nm) chip capacity to grow at a compound annual rate of 70 percent from this year to 2028. The projection comes as five fabs begin volume production of 2-nanometer chips this year — two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung — TSMC senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer Cliff Hou (侯永清) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Silicon Valley, California, last week. Output in the first year of 2-nanometer production, which began in the fourth quarter of last year, is expected to
RSS