The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday welcomed Senator John Kerry's remarks that the "one country, two systems" model could not be replicated in Taiwan, saying that it was a recognition of Taiwan's situation as unique and different from that of Hong Kong.
"The "one country, two sys-tems" approach was designed to protect Hong Kong's freedoms while respecting China's sovereignty. The "one country, two systems" model can't be replicated for Taiwan" Kerry told the Sing Tao Daily in an exclusive interview conducted by written exchanges.
"If China will not respect Hong Kong's full rights under the current system, it sends a negative message that will further complicate efforts to resolve issues with the Taiwanese," Kerry wrote in response to questions about the applicability of the "one country, two systems" framework to Taiwan.
Kerry's remarks on cross-strait relations have been sparse, but his statements in the newspaper effectively reverse previous remarks.
He had suggested in January during a radio interview with six other democratic candidates that the "one country two systems" model could be implemented in Taiwan as a solution to the cross-strait impasse.
Council Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (
"The [US] election is so close. Both candidates want to make sure that they do not lose the election on a simple mistake," Chiu said.
"Taiwan is not the central issue in the elections, and as such neither candidate wants to take the risk that comes with endorsing uncertain variables," he said.
He added that Kerry's remarks were effectively a reaffirmation of the US' "one China" policy.
Chiu reiterated that the US' overall stance, specifically its insistence on its "one China" policy and the six assurances forged under former president Ronald Reagan's administration, would continue to be the cornerstone of US cross-strait policymaking.
"I will reaffirm the US' `One China' policy, whose core is an insistence that the Taiwan Strait issue should be resolved peacefully and with the assent of the people of Taiwan," Kerry said in the interview, vowing to "minimize misperceptions and misplaced expectations" and encourage the resumption of cross-strait dialogue.
"Taiwan is the most difficult and sensitive issue in US-China relations. The goal of United States policy is to deter Beijing from taking military action and to restrain Taipei from political initiatives that would provoke a use of force," Kerry said, pointing out that the US did not support Taiwan independence.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS