President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday urged both sides of the Taiwan Strait to maintain peaceful relations, vowing that the Republic of China (ROC) would commit to positive exchanges with China and extending goodwill, but would not succumb to pressure or threats.
“Over the past few months, Taiwanese commonly feel that rational and calm relations kept by both sides of the Strait have slightly changed,” Tsai said when she and Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) attended a New Year’s Eve news conference at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, talking also about their work since assuming office on May 20 last year and the direction of the government.
“Beijing has, step by step, backed onto an old track to polarize, pressure and even threaten and intimidate Taiwan,” Tsai said.
Photo: Su Fang-ho, Taipei Times
“We hope this is not Beijing’s policy and want to remind the Chinese government that such moves have hurt Taiwanese feelings and affected stability across the Taiwan Strait,” she said.
“To maintain regional peace and prosperity, we once again promise that our goodwill has not changed, but we will not yield to pressure or return to the old path of confrontation,” she added.
Beijing and Sao Tome and Principe signed a communique to resume diplomatic relations late last month after the western African nation terminated formal relations with the Republic of China, seen as an example of China’s former methods.
Tsai said that Taiwan hopes to continue to work with China for peace in response to calls from people on both sides of the strait.
“Whether cross-strait relations take a different path next year [2017] depends on our patience, holding steady to our beliefs and how Beijing views the future of cross-strait relations. In other words, whether it is willing to accept responsibility and adopt new thinking and practices to jointly find a method of interaction between Taiwan and China and respond to the mutual desire of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and regional neighbors for peace and development,” she said.
As long as Taiwan and China share a calm and rational mindset and allow a certain degree of flexibility, many problems can be resolved, she said.
Tsai said Taiwan faces a more uncertain international situation in the first half of the year, but assured Taiwanese that the nation has the strength it needs to deal with such challenges.
Policy changes by the administration of US president-elect Donald Trump are likely to change the international situation and Taiwan will need to face the uncertainty that follows, Tsai said.
“In the first half of next year [2017], we will focus on dealing with changes in the international situation. The government will work to maintain peace and stability, and will actively seek out more opportunities to contribute to the international community,” she said.
Asked by reporters how her administration interprets the international view of the “one China” policy, which became a topic of debate after being discussed by Trump, Tsai said there is no need to overreact.
Tsai said she made it clear in her inaugural address that “the Republic of China is a sovereign nation and this has not changed.”
There might be numerous ideas about how to handle cross-strait relations, which Tsai said remains a challenge for Taiwanese, but she asked people to “remember the consensus that we are a sovereign nation.”
On speculation that she could meet with members of Trump’s team and US officials during her transit stops in the US on her way to Central America this month, Tsai said the plan is merely to stop over in the US.
Tsai is scheduled to depart on Saturday for a nine-day visit to the nation’s Central American allies.
The Presidential Office said that the president is to make two stopovers in the US — in Houston, Texas, and San Francisco.
During the stopovers, Tsai is scheduled to meet with Taiwanese expatriates and visit some businesses, as is customary for Taiwanese leaders transiting though the US, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
The American Institute in Taiwan said the transit arrangements for Tsai were based on a long-standing US practice and were consistent with the unofficial nature of the US’ relations with Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from