President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen's remarks come as Beijing's readies to pass the law which is expected to pass on Monday during the final day of the National People's Congress -- China's rubber-stamp parliament.
"If the Beijing authorities really place their hope in the people of Taiwan -- as they like to claim -- then they should not misjudge the situation. Rather, they should try to rationally respect the Taiwanese people's free will," Chen said. "[China] should make constructive contributions in ameliorating cross-strait relations rather than attempting to unilaterally legislate laws that aim to `legitimize' a military attack on Taiwan."
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"In other words, the proposed anti-secession law will backfire, and end up only driving both sides of the Strait further apart," the president said in his speech yesterday at the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) provisional National Congress meeting.
Liberally paraphrasing Edmund Burke, Chen told his audience that history has often proven that evil powers will proliferate and even have a destructive effect when good and honest people choose to stay mute and do nothing.
"But when a non-peaceful dark cloud overshadows us, no one can stay clean from it," Chen said. "Should the other side of the Strait insist on passing the anti-secession law regardless of whatever results it might bring, I would like to call on a million people in Taiwan to join the March 26 `March for Democracy, Peace and Safeguarding Taiwan.'"
Chen asked rhetorically: Why was he not asking for a mere 500,000 people?
"Two years ago, 500,000 people in Hong Kong took their appeal to the streets in protest against China's intention of amending Article 23 of the Basic Law," Chen said, noting that Hong Kong has even accepted the "one country, two systems" policy.
"Hong Kong is part of the People's Republic of China, and yet they were not afraid, but dared to take their case to the streets," Chen said. "Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China, and its population is three times bigger than that of Hong Kong. If people in Hong Kong can have 500,000 people on the streets to protest just one article in a bill, then can't Taiwan, opposing the 11 articles in China's anti-secession law, even do it with a million people?"
The past 10 years were the years in which China faced the smallest threat to its national security, yet China's annual defense budget has been growing at a double-digit precentage annually for the past 10 years. This was not to mention the 706 ballistic missiles deployed along China's southeastern coast within striking distance of Taiwan -- and that number is projected to keep growing at a rate of 120 annually, Chen said.
Chen added that "until China works to improve its human rights record and to implement true democratic elections, the EU has no justification for lifting its arms-sale embargo against China."
He said his administration would embark on a pragmatic approach of "reconciling but not flinching; standing firm yet avoid confrontation" in cross-strait relations.
"We'll continue our reconciliatory attitude, but we'll never compromise on our core values and basic stances. While we'll remain steadfast, we'll not be provocative or confrontational," Chen said.
"Taiwan's future must be decided by the people of Taiwan" is a firm belief upheld by the DPP, and this policy has been pivotal in steering the DPP since its founding 18 years ago, Chen said.
In related news, DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-teh (
Lai said the DPP has decided to hold the rally in Taipei, and if it manages to draw a million participants, similar gatherings will be held in the northern, central and southern parts of the country.
Also see story:
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
The Chien Feng IV (勁蜂, Mighty Hornet) loitering munition is on track to enter flight tests next month in connection with potential adoption by Taiwanese and US armed forces, a government source said yesterday. The kamikaze drone, which boasts a range of 1,000km, debuted at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in September, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defense jointly developed the platform by leveraging the engine and airframe of the latter’s MQM-178 Firejet target drone, they said. The uncrewed aerial vehicle is designed to utilize an artificial intelligence computer
Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating yesterday, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced people in both countries living in strained conditions as more flooded into temporary shelters. Reporters on the Thai side of the border heard sounds of outgoing, indirect fire yesterday. About 400,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas in Thailand and about 700 schools closed while fighting was ongoing in four border provinces, said Thai Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesman for the military. Cambodia evacuated more than 127,000 villagers and closed hundreds of schools, the Thai Ministry of Defense said. Thailand’s military announced that
CABINET APPROVAL: People seeking assisted reproduction must be assessed to determine whether they would be adequate parents, the planned changes say Proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act (人工生殖法) advanced yesterday by the Executive Yuan would grant married lesbian couples and single women access to legal assisted reproductive services. The proposed revisions are “based on the fundamental principle of respecting women’s reproductive autonomy,” Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) quoted Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), who presided over a Cabinet meeting earlier yesterday, as saying at the briefing. The draft amendment would be submitted to the legislature for review. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which proposed the amendments, said that experts on children’s rights, gender equality, law and medicine attended cross-disciplinary meetings, adding that
RSS