Changhua County Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members yesterday vowed to defend the Republic of China (ROC), waving the ROC flag and chanting: “Long Live the ROC” at a rally outside Yuanlin Station in Yuanlin to support DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) announcement that she would attend Double Ten National Day celebrations.
“Taiwan is the ROC and the ROC is Taiwan,” DPP county chapter director-general Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁) said, adding that the ROC is slowly unraveling under President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and has constantly been belittled by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
National dignity is eroding under Ma and former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) is also abasing himself to Chinese whims and following its version of history, Chen said, adding that both men, despite being members of a party that is technically the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) archnemesis, have no regard for the ROC.
Photo: Yen Hung-chun, Taipei Times
Following the ROC’s defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government retreated to Taiwan, while the CCP founded the PRC.
Both nations are still technically at war as no official peace treaty has been signed or ratified, Chen said.
If the KMT is gutless and afraid of revoking Lien’s party membership, it is in essence giving up the nation’s dignity, Chen said, adding that should this be the case, the DPP would step up to defend the ROC and Taiwanese dignity.
Chen was refering to Lien’s controversial visit to Beijing last week to attend a military parade in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Chen called for DPP members nationwide to hang ROC flags outside their homes to show that they love Taiwan and the ROC.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges