A Control Yuan report recommended that a model for participation in international organizations be added to the agenda for the fifth round of cross-strait talks next year.
Titled “Taiwan’s Participation in International Organizations,” the report also said the public should not have high expectations of the so-called “1992 consensus” because China’s insistence on the “one China” principle remains unchanged despite the change in Taiwan’s government.
The “1992 consensus” refers to an alleged agreement between China and Taiwan that there is “one China, with each side of the Strait having its own interpretation.”
A cross-strait diplomatic truce would require China’s tolerance of Taiwan participating in international organizations on a case-by-case basis, the report said.
However, when such participation reaches a certain number, it is feared that Beijing would insist on its “one China” principle, the report said.
The report also quoted former Chinese ambassador to the UK Ma Zhengang (馬振岡) as saying that it would be best to adopt a yearly review approach.
The report questioned how Taiwan’s sovereignty would be affected if it were required to seek consent from China or its blessing every time it wanted to apply to participate in an international organization.
The report went on to say that China often demands that Taiwan not use the titles “Taiwan” or “Republic of China” when Taiwanese officials or NGOs participate in international organizations.
Instead, Beijing insists on “Taiwan, China,” or “Chinese Taipei,” in line with the “one China” principle.
Wong Ming-hsien (翁明賢), director of Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, was quoted in the report as expressing reservation over the term “Chinese Taipei” when participating in international organizations.
While the government has said the use of the term would not affect the country’s sovereignty, Wong said he feared other countries could conceivably, over time, confuse the two, believing “Chinese Taipei” to be the official name.
The report also quoted the Ministry of Justice as noting that the US is trying to get China to take part in the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units’ anti-money laundering initiative.
For Taiwan to be involved, China will insist on the use of the term “Chinese Taipei” instead of Taiwan, and the US, Japan and Russia are likely to agree to this, the report said.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS