Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday closed a forum on cross-strait relations in Hong Kong by saying that mutual trust was important between the DPP and Beijing and that all bilateral exchanges should benefit the public and address their needs.
In his closing remarks to the two-day forum titled “Development and innovation of cross-strait relations,” Hsieh reiterated the importance of rebalancing cross-strait interactions, which have been narrowed down to interactions between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Citing the recently signed cross-strait service trade pact that has drawn heavy criticism in Taiwan, Hsieh said it was a perfect example of how imbalanced interaction could harm bilateral engagement.
While Beijing said it had given Taiwan WTO-plus treatment in the pact, opposition to the agreement and public fear over the “Chinese economic invasion” remained strong because the communication channel has been limited to the KMT and the CCP and Taiwan’s government had failed to make the negotiation process transparent, Hsieh said.
However, Hsieh, who represents the DPP’s moderate wing, which has been attempting to foster closer engagement across the Taiwan Strait, said that it is also imperative for the DPP and the CCP to keep an “appropriate” distance because of the lack of mutual trust at present.
He also highlighted his “two sides, two Constitutions” initiative, saying that Taiwan and China could coexist if both respected each other’s constitutional legitimacy.
Hsieh echoed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) idea of an “Asian community of destiny.”
“We may not share the same history, but we could have a common destiny and future,” he said.
Academics from both sides of the Strait, as well as nine DPP lawmakers, attended the two-day forum, which was organized by Hsieh’s Taiwan Reform Foundation and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Taiwan Studies — the first time a DPP-affiliated organization has organized an event in cooperation with a state-sponsored Chinese think tank.
Hsieh is set to visit Taiwanese businesspeople in Shenzhen, China, today before returning to Taiwan tomorrow.
Commenting on the forum, DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said the seminar attracted individuals from the Chinese government and academia and the seniority of the Chinese officials attending the event showed that Beijing attached great importance to it.
Although there were heated discussions between Chinese and Taiwanese delegates, the event provided a chance for the DPP and Beijing to better understand each other, Chao said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS