Opposition lawmakers yesterday lashed out at vice president-elect Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) for failing to lodge a protest over a Boao Forum for Asia report that referred to Taiwan as “China’s Taiwan.”
Wu returned on Tuesday from Hainan Island, where he attended the forum last week in his capacity as the top adviser to the Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) told a press conference yesterday that a report titled Annual Report 2012: Competitiveness of Asian Economies published by the forum referred to Taiwan as “China’s Taiwan” both in its Chinese and English versions.
Chen said it was impossible that Wu would not have noticed Taiwan’s title in the report, adding that the vice president-elect had seriously denigrated the nation’s sovereignty by not voicing his -opposition at the forum.
Chen said the report also purposely listed Taiwan and Hong Kong together, implying that Taiwan’s status is the same as that of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.
“Wu must have been aware of the political meaning behind such an arrangement, but he chose to stay silent,” Chen said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) might address the concept of “one country, two areas (一國兩區)” during his inauguration speech on May 20 and further denigrate Taiwan’s status.
Lin was referring to former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung’s (吳伯雄) description of cross-strait relations during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in Beijing on March 22.
In related news, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus yesterday invited Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) to explain the government’s cross-strait policy.
However, Lai did not show up and sent Jeff Yang (楊家駿), director of the council’s Policy Planning Department, to attend the meeting on her behalf.
Expressing regret that Lai declined to attend the meeting, TSU Legislator Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) said the party caucus would send Lai another invitation next week.
Huang added that if Lai did not attend the next meeting, the caucus might refer her to the Control Yuan for investigation on charges of failing to explain the government’s policy to the people.
TSU caucus whip Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) reiterated that Taiwan does not belong to China or to any other country.
Yang said the “one country, two areas” concept reflects the KMT government’s longstanding position and does not constitute a change to Taiwan’s “status quo.”
Additional reporting by CNA
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS