The Presidential Office yesterday blasted a media report that said the US was displeased with President Chen Shui-bian's (
The draft of Chen's speech was allegedly rejected by Washington three times prior to its release, particularly in relation to constitutional amendments that Chen said would be completed before 2008, the United Daily News reported yesterday.
The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that Washington was displeased with Chen for delivering the address without changing parts of the draft it considered unsatisfactory.
The report said Washington returned the draft to the Presidential Office three times, each time asking for revisions.
But Chen proceeded with the speech because not enough time had been allowed for making changes, it said.
The report said the US was particularly displeased with Chen's talk of a new constitution, and was concerned this would alter his stance on the "five noes" in which he earlier promised not to change the status of the nation's sovereignty and territory during this term.
National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
"This is entirely groundless. I'm very sorry to read this kind of fabricated report, which will hurt not only the government but also bilateral relations with the US," Chiou said yesterday at a press conference.
Chiou said the New Year's address was a collaboration between key personnel from the Presidential Office and the National Security Council.
"We revised the draft several times. However, we passed the final draft to the US less than 30 hours before the speech was delivered," he said.
Chiou said the US was paying more attention to both the government's new "active management, effective opening" approach to cross-strait issues as well as the proposed referendum on a new constitution by 2007.
"We would like to stress that the drafting of the new constitution will be by the public [rather than the government]. As for cross-strait issues, we hope the US knows that China has clearly revealed its stance in rejecting Taiwan's government, at least before 2008," he said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) yesterday said communication between Taipei and Washington remains smooth and that Taipei will continue talking to the US to dispel concerns on a new constitution and Chen's cross-strait economic policy.
Lu also offered a clarification on behalf of the nation's envoy to the US, David Lee (
Rebutting local news reports from yesterday, Lu said the representative to the US did not use the word "protest" during his regular meeting with the press in Washington last week.
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
The High Court yesterday found a New Taipei City woman guilty of charges related to helping Beijing secure surrender agreements from military service members. Lee Huei-hsin (李慧馨) was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), making illegal compacts with government employees and bribery, the court said. The verdict is final. Lee, the manager of a temple in the city’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), was accused of arranging for eight service members to make surrender pledges to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in exchange for money, the court said. The pledges, which required them to provide identification
Nine retired generals from Taiwan, Japan and the US have been invited to participate in a tabletop exercise hosted by the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science Foundation tomorrow and Wednesday that simulates a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2030, the foundation said yesterday. The five retired Taiwanese generals would include retired admiral Lee Hsi-min (李喜明), joined by retired US Navy admiral Michael Mullen and former chief of staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces general Shigeru Iwasaki, it said. The simulation aims to offer strategic insights into regional security and peace in the Taiwan Strait, it added. Foundation chair Huang Huang-hsiung
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