On the eve of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) reminded Lien and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) that only the government has the right to negotiate with the Chinese authorities.
Wu said that according to the law, political parties cannot sign agreements of any form with China.
"It is also improper for them to reach verbal deals with China," he warned. "They may break the law if they do so."
Political parties, Wu explained, are different from civic groups in nature; therefore, their leaders' trips to China are not the same as exchanges between unofficial groups from China and Taiwan.
Political parties should keep their activities within acceptable boundaries and understand what their responsibilities are to the nation and the Taiwanese people.
"They are not only responsible for their party members or their own personal status in history," Wu added.
In the "Anti-Secession" Law that it enacted last month, Beijing lowered the status of Taiwan to that of a local government and authorized the use of "non-peaceful" means against Taiwan's 23 million people, Wu said.
He urged Lien and Soong to inform the Chinese authorities of true feelings of the Taiwanese people, who "strongly oppose China's passage of the Anti-Secession Law."
A number of polls have proven that dislike of the Chinese law is widespread among the Taiwanese people, Wu said.
The two chairmen, Wu added, should remind Beijing that the Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign country and that different governments control the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
"Only Taiwan's 23 million people have the rights to decide any change of the future of the ROC. [The chairmen] should make these points clear to the Chinese leaders. This is their responsibility as leaders of political parties," Wu said.
He repeated that the government wants to normalize cross-strait exchanges in order to increase mutual understanding between the two sides.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist