Staff Writer, with CNA
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he “hoped for the continued prosperity and development of China and wished Chinese authorities would accelerate efforts on democratic politic reform to safeguard human rights.”
In a statement issued by the Presidential Office in response to the impact of the so-called “Jasmine Revolution” on China, Ma also said he hoped the Chinese government would adopt “new concepts” and treat people with dissenting opinions more leniently.
“Let democracy and human rights be the eternal common language of the people across the strait,” Ma said.
Joseph Chen (陳永豐), director of the Presidential Office’s Department of Public Affairs, held a press conference in the afternoon to announce Ma’s official position on the protests in China.
“President Ma feels that democracy and human rights are values accepted by all, and are the extension of the principles advanced by Mencius [孟子] and Confucius [孔子],” Chen said.
“More importantly, it is the core value of Taiwanese and an -important index by which to measure the cross-strait relationship,” Chen said.
CONCERN
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed concern and support yesterday for a message posted on the Internet two days earlier calling for a “Chinese Jasmine Revolution.”
Tsai, who made the remark during a meeting of the DPP legislative caucus, said the uprisings in the Middle East and the democratic movements in China are significant events and represent important international trends.
Taiwan’s insistence on democracy and human rights are the country’s most valuable assets and represent the foundations of the party’s development, Tsai said.
In the face of the great challenges from China, the DPP will protect the values of Taiwan and support jasmine revolutions across China and Middle East, she said.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
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FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
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