If China passes an "anti-secession" law as expected, it is possible that Taiwan will mount a "defensive referendum" to counter the legislation, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) suggested yesterday.
"While we are not exactly sure about the content of the proposed legislation, anything is possible if it passes into law in the form that we expect," Hsieh told the plenary legislative session yesterday morning.
"The reason that we hesitate to propose a detailed counter-measure is because we'd like the international community to know that Taiwan is a peace-loving country while China is hostile to us and is trying to foment hatred and anger in the Taiwan Strait," Hsieh said in response to a question from Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Mark Ho (
Ho asked Hsieh whether it would be possible for Taiwan to hold a referendum to counter China's planned law. According to the Referendum Law (公投法), the head of state has the right to initiate a so-called "defensive referendum" to protect the country's sovereignty when the country faces external threat to its security.
Hsieh also took the opportunity to express the government's "strongest opposition" to the proposed law.
"China's plan to pass an anti-secession law violates the earlier claim made by Chinese leaders that they respect and put their hope in Taiwanese people," he said. "If they pass the law, they are responsible for the consequences."
Hsieh, however, emphasized that the government will first focus on voicing the nation's opposition to the proposed law to the local and international communities.
"I personally think resorting to moral appeals is the most potent approach rather than adopting a dramatic method," he said. "Being irrational might please some, but does not solve the problem. Winning the support and sympathy of the international community is a more practical scheme."
Responding to the "confederate one China" concept proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator Ting Shou-chung (
"Under the premise of peace and stability, it sounds like a creative idea and is one of many possible alternatives," Hsieh said. "However, I don't think it is appropriate for the government to take the initiative."
Claiming the "confederate one China" model is conducive to easing cross-strait tension, Ting proposed to hold a popular vote and let the people of Taiwan decide whether to form such a mechanism.
While the 10-point consensus reached between President Chen Shui-bian (
He added that he expects to receive a complete report on the matter in two or three months.
"I can honestly tell you that it is hard to push for a change to the national title because we do not enjoy a legislative majority," he said.
Regarding constitutional reform, Hsieh said that while it is difficult for the government to push for such a cause, he said he would like to see the private sector and opposition parties undertake that task.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
POSSIBILITIES EMERGE: With Taiwan’s victory and Japan’s narrow win over Australia, Taiwan now have a chance to advance if South Korea also beat the Aussies Taiwan has high hopes that the national baseball team would advance to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarter-finals after clinching a crucial 5-4 victory over South Korea in a nail-biting extra-inning game at the Tokyo Dome yesterday. Boosted by three home runs — two solo shots by Yu Chang (張育成) and Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) and a two-run homer by Stuart Fairchild — the triumph gave Taiwan a much-needed second victory in the five-team Pool C, where only the top two finishers would advance to the knockout stage in Miami, Florida. Entering extra innings with the game tied at four apiece, Taiwan scored
MISSION OF PEACE: The foreign minister urged Beijing to respect Taiwan’s existence as an independent nation, and work together to ensure peace and stability in the region Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday rejected Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) comments about Taiwan, criticizing China as a “troublemaker” in the international community and a disruptor of cross-strait peace. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Chinese National People’s Congress, Wang said that Taiwan has always been a territory of China and that it would be impossible for it to become its own country. The “return” of Taiwan to China was the natural outcome of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japan in World War II, and that any pursuit of independence was “doomed
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
RSS