President Chen Shui-bian's (
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said yesterday that Chen's speech was based on worries about China's relentless suppression of Taiwan, which has caused the cross-strait political, economic and military balance to tip toward China, a worrying situation that could lead to a unilateral change of the current status quo.
"As a national leader, the president has to pay attention to such signs and the people should understand the logic behind his Lunar New Year remarks and not take his words out of context," Huang said.
The foreign affairs minister said yesterday that Taipei has increased communications with Washington since Chen made the speech on Sunday to convey a fuller picture to US authorities and that Taiwan's stance on the cross-strait status quo was consistent with that of the US.
He said that there were indeed differences in Washington and Taipei's understanding of Chen's Lunar New Year remarks, but the gap was not a major one and had not caused a "crisis of trust" in US and Taiwan relations.
Regarding the State Department's statement that Taiwan joining the UN under the name of "Taiwan" would constitute a unilateral change of the status quo, Huang said it was "too strong" for the US to use such words.
Huang said Taiwan understands the US' reasons for reiterating its stated policy and that communications between the two sides remain smooth.
However, Huang said, because of the fast-changing cross-strait situation and the increasing difficulties and limitations placed on Taiwan's international participation, the US may not always understand Taiwan's predicament well enough.
Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday explained that Chen's proposal to abolish the National Unification Council and guidelines was based on a legislative resolution passed on Jan. 12 this year to abolish all the unauthorized institutions under the Presidential Office.
Wu said these institutions included the Constitutional Reform Office, the Youth Corps, the National Human Rights Museum Preparatory Task Force and Technological Development Consultation Advisory Board.
"If all unauthorized organizations under the Presidential Office are to be abolished, it should imply that the National Unification Council, which is also unauthorized, should be abolished as well," Wu said.
In addition, Wu said that the council hardly functions at all, as its annual budget currently stands at only NT$1,000 after the Legislature slashed the original NT$6 million (US$187,000) budget proposed by the Presidential Office in 2003. Since then the council's budget has remained at NT$1,000 each year and the council hasn't convened a meeting since 1999.
"If we put the two resolutions passed by the Legislative Yuan together, one about the budget-slashing, and the other about unauthorized organizations, that means the Legislature itself wants to abolish the National Unification Council," Wu said.
"Anyway, the president's proposal is still under review and evaluation by the National Security Council, and therefore it has nothing to do with whether or not we are intending to [change] the `four noes,'" he said.
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
GLOBAL PROJECT: Underseas cables ‘are the nervous system of democratic connectivity,’ which is under stress, Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols said The government yesterday launched an initiative to promote global cooperation on improved security of undersea cables, following reported disruptions of such cables near Taiwan and around the world. The Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables aims to “bring together stakeholders, align standards, promote best practices and turn shared concerns into beneficial cooperation,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a seminar in Taipei. The project would be known as “RISK,” an acronym for risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform and knowledge building, he said at the seminar, titled “Taiwan-Europe Subsea Cable Security Cooperation Forum.” Taiwan sits at a vital junction on
RSS