Chinese President Hu Jintao's (
In his speech on Dec. 31, Hu said the Chinese people would continue to strive toward realizing unification with Taiwan by adhering to the basic principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems."
"`One country, two systems' in Hu's speech was of significance because it has been a long time since the Chinese government used the wording in its official documents," Wu said, adding that "the implication was to tighten cross-strait policy and cause problems for Taiwan's government."
Wu said that Taiwan was very aware of China's restriction of the nation's international space, its growing military threat and its refusal to heed Taiwan's overtures for negotiation.
"We can't expect too much progress in cross-strait relations if the Chinese government continues to ignore the Taiwanese government," he said.
Wu was speaking in the legislature's Home and Nations Committee in response to pan-blue camp legislators, who described Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) New Year's speech as another step in the worsening of cross-strait relations.
Wu yesterday urged Beijing to open an official dialogue with Taipei, an act he said was crucial to resolving cross-strait disputes.
"Only if we grasp the window of opportunity for cross-strait dialogue will we be able to resolve the existing deadlock pragmatically and create a different outlook for cross-strait relations," Wu said.
People First Party Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) said Chen's announcement that he wanted to hold a referendum for a new constitution in 2007 would not improve cross-strait relations.
Wu said that a new constitution aimed to enshrine a system of government suited to the needs of the country.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
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