France threw its support yesterday behind China's "Anti-Secession" Law while vowing to keep pushing for an end to the EU arms embargo on China.
On a three-day visit to China, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said Paris had no objections to the law, appearing to put it at odds with the EU.
"The Anti-Secession Law is completely compatible with the position of France," he said at a joint press conference with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶).
At the same time, he vowed that his government would continue to push for the lifting of what he called the "anachronistic" and "discriminatory" arms embargo against China.
The EU has made clear it is opposed to any use of force between China and Taiwan and has warned against "any unilateral action."
The timing of the ban's lifting is in doubt because of current difficulties in Beijing's relations with not just Taiwan but also Japan, which has been the target of widespread recent protests in China over its wartime past.
The US has warned that removing the embargo would upset the balance of power in the region.
"France continues to require the lifting of the embargo and does not see what could lead the European Council to change its position on the subject," he said.
He earlier told Xinhua News Agency that China was becoming a "responsible, great nation" and the arms ban in place since the crushing of democracy campaigners in 1989 was outdated.
"This measure is anachronistic, wrongfully discriminatory and in complete contradiction of the current state of the strategic partnership between Europe and China," he said, according to a transcript. "France believes that the transition in progress will leave China even stronger and responsible, a great nation respected and at peace with its neighbors, a new focus of stability on the international scene."
France has been accused of seeking to curry favor with Beijing by spearheading the drive to end the arms ban, as it pursues new opportunities in the world's fastest growing major economy.
Its efforts paid off yesterday with the Toulouse-based Airbus signing orders for 10 new planes worth between US$500 million and US$600 million with Chinese airlines.
Another key concern of the EU as it considers the arms embargo is China's human-rights record, which it has asked to be improved.
At the joint press conference with Raffarin, Wen insisted China had made progress and was working towards ratifying a UN convention on the issue.
"We are making efforts to be able to ratify it as soon as possible," he said.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS