The Presidential Office yesterday said a statement by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) warning of a referendum to gauge opposition to Beijing's proposed anti-secession law was just an option, and aimed at expressing anger over its possible introduction.
"What the president said did not mean the government is going to hold a referendum to oppose the anti-secession law right away," Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang (
Huang was referring to remarks made by Chen in an interview published in Japan's Mainichi Shimbun on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chen yesterday called for the nation to stand up to the proposed law.
"The enactment of the anti-secession bill would undermine the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan should react to it," Chen said during an inspection of a military facility in Pingtung County yesterday.
In the interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, Chen said the anti-secession bill would likely prompt his government to introduce a law against annexation.
"The government is also likely to hold a referendum to make clear that the Taiwanese oppose such a law," he said. "The referendum would take place at the same time as the National Assembly elections in May for amending the Constitution."
But Chen said his plan for a new constitution was not promoting independence.
"There is no need for people to worry about it," he said. "Since there is no consensus on issues regarding sovereignty, territory, unification and independence in Taiwan, adopting a new constitution will have nothing to do with promoting Taiwan's independence," he told the paper.
In Pingtung, Chen called the proposed law the biggest threat to regional stability and peace.
Chen said Beijing had been actively engaging in "psychological, legal and media warfare" toward Taiwan and that the Tai-wanese public should take the problem seriously and respond accordingly.
He said that Chinese military power had been growing for decades and that the People's Liberation Army's budget had been growing by double-digit figures every year, which concerned neighbors in the Asia-Pacific.
"A country that relies too much on other countries will fail in war," Chen said.
Also see story:
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS