Taiwan's government yesterday thanked US President George W. Bush for calling on Beijing to talk to the Democratic Progressive Party government, saying direct dialogue was essential to bettering cross-strait relations.
"Many high-ranking US officials have repeatedly urged Beijing to talk to Taiwan's elected government and its leader ... and we thank and welcome President Bush's words," Presidential Office spokesman Chen Wen-tsung (陳文宗) said.
Bush on Thursday personally urged Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) to talk directly with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to find a peaceful solution to cross-strait issues, as Washington steps up its campaign to pressure Hu into initiating government-to-government discussions.
Bush made his plea during a phone call with Hu that appeared to center on Taiwan and North Korea.
"President Hu briefed the president on the historic visits to China by opposition leaders," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said during his daily press briefing. "The president urged President Hu to continue working on ways to reach out to President Chen as the duly elected leader of Taiwan."
While McClellan said the Bush administration "appreciates" the pan-blue-camp visits to China, he repeated statements that he and other US spokesmen have made over the past two weeks endorsing a Hu-Chen dialogue.
"We continue to urge dialogue between Taiwan and China to promote peace and stability in the region, and the president and President Hu talked about that in their conversation today," he said. "We appreciate that President Hu met with some of the opposition leaders. We believe dialogue is important."
However, he went on, "we believe, ultimately ... that there needs to be continued dialogue with the duly elected leaders in Taiwan, and that means President Chen and his Cabinet."
"That's the best way to continue to promote peace and stability in the cross-strait region," he said.
While the administration at first welcomed contact between the opposition leaders and Beijing, in recent weeks it has shifted its stance, emphasizing the need for Beijing to talk with Chen. The latest conversation intensifies these efforts and is the first time that Bush has inserted himself into the efforts.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said the visits to China by opposition leaders were a "positive development, moving in the right direction."
Zoellick's praise, though, was qualified.
"It's too soon to tell the exact direction of this," he said.
Also see story:
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS