The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took the first step toward the formulation of its cross-strait policy as its nine-member China Affairs Committee held its first meeting yesterday in the face of mounting cross-strait challenges.
“Almost every member of the committee agreed that the DPP’s core values have withstood the test of time and changing political situation. Discussions over strategic options and substantial policies are what this committee has to accomplish in the future,” committee spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) told a press conference.
The two-hour meeting gathered all the committee members, namely committee convener and DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), former premier Yu Shyi-kun, DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), former National Security Council secretary-general Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and former DPP secretary--general Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁).
Photo: Lo Pei-Der, Taipei Times
Chen Ming-tung (陳明通), a National Taiwan University professor who served as Mainland Affairs Council chairman under the DPP administration, gave the keynote speech, “Taiwan’s China agenda.”
In it, he highlighted a “Taiwan Dream” based on the Taiwanese people’s high degree of consensus on sovereignty, security, human rights and economic benefits, Cheng quoted Chen as saying.
Underlining the hierarchy of the DPP’s cross-strait policy, Chiou said the party should be able to assess its basic position, strategic options and policymaking to counter persistent challenges from Beijing, Cheng said.
Former premiers Yu and Hsieh, who hold very different attitudes toward China, both laid out their main ideas in the meeting, with Yu saying that he would support any policy as long as it does not harm national interests and does not violate the DPP’s Resolution on Taiwan’s Future (台灣前途決議文) and its Normal Country Resolution (正常國家決議文).
Hsieh, who did not join the committee until this week, played down the differences between his moderate China policy and other members’ more hawkish positions, saying that the only difference between them could be his initiative of “constitutions with different interpretations (憲法各表).”
While the spokesperson said the atmosphere of the meeting was generally convivial, a DPP member who was at the meeting said on condition of anonymity that Chiou argued with Hsieh about the DPP’s attitude to the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution.
Chiou said the DPP does not accept the ROC Constitution in its entirety, while Hsieh believed the opposite, the source said.
The committee’s second meeting is scheduled for July 11, DPP Department of China Affairs director Honigmann Hong (洪財隆) said, adding that the meetings would be held every two months.
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Friday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
FORCED LABOR: A US court listed three Taiwanese and nine firms based in Taiwan in its indictment, with eight of the companies registered at the same address Nine companies registered in Taiwan, as well as three Taiwanese, on Tuesday were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) as a result of a US federal court indictment. The indictment unsealed at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, said that Chen Zhi (陳志), a dual Cambodian-British national, is being indicted for fraud conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding Group’s forced-labor scam camps in Cambodia. At its peak, the company allegedly made US$30 million per day, court documents showed. The US government has seized Chen’s noncustodial wallet, which contains
SUPPLY CHAIN: Taiwan’s advantages in the drone industry include rapid production capacity that is independent of Chinese-made parts, the economic ministry said The Executive Yuan yesterday approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion (US$1.44 billion) into domestic production of uncrewed aerial vehicles over the next six years, bringing Taiwan’s output value to more than NT$40 billion by 2030 and making the nation Asia’s democratic hub for the drone supply chain. The proposed budget has NT$33.8 billion in new allocations and NT$10.43 billion in existing funds, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Under the new development program, the public sector would purchase nearly 100,000 drones, of which 50,898 would be for civil and government use, while 48,750 would be for national defense, it said. The Ministry of
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
RSS