In an unprecedented videoconference with members of the European Parliament, President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen also took the opportunity to urge EU members to support Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Organization (WHO).
Referring to the recent agreement on cross-strait charter flights during the Lunar New Year holiday, Chen said that "the event helped to open an opportunity for a ray of sunshine" in cross-strait relations.
"Yet it is regrettable that there is now a dark cloud overshadowing the atmosphere for reconciliation," Chen said, referring to China's proposed anti-secession law.
"China is planning to enact an anti-secession law in its upcoming National People's Congress meeting. This is a blatant and unilateral attempt to undermine cross-strait relations," Chen told his audience in Brussels, which included Graham Watson, chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, and George Jarzembowski, president of the Taiwan Council of the European Parliament.
Touching on issues concerning the nation's constitutional reform, Chen made a reference to his meeting with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
The consensus, that included Chen's reiteration that he will not promote Taiwan's independence or change the country's official name during his term in office, had irked many pan-green supporters.
"I have to be honest with myself as well as with others," Chen said.
"During my term in office I can't change the nation's official name from Republic of China (ROC) to Republic of Taiwan. If I can't do it, I can't do it," Chen said. "Former president Lee Teng-hui (
Aidan White, general-secretary of the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists, Willem van der Geest, director of the European Institute for Asian Studies, were among those taking part in the teleconference, which lasted about an hour and a half.
"While we will continue to extend the hand of friendship, we would like to send out a strong message that more than 83 percent of the people in Taiwan oppose the law," Chen said.
In addition to calling on EU members to support Taiwan's bid to join the WHO, Chen also urged the EU to apply more rigorous standards when considering the lifting of the arms embargo on China to maintain the military balance in the Asia-Pacific region.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
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