The new “three noes” proposed by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) have hurt Taiwan’s sovereignty and sent the wrong message that China’s bullying of Taiwan is effective, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
“Ma’s remarks were very inappropriate and gave people the feeling he is trying to hold them back,” Tsai said after attending a meeting for Industry Day in Taipei.
Tsai was referring to the “three noes” — no ruling out the possibility of unification with China, no support for Taiwanese independence and no use of force — put forth by Ma at a forum on Wednesday that marked the three-year anniversary of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore.
Photo: CNA
When Ma met with Xi, many in Taiwan questioned whether he insisted on the “different interpretations” part of the so-called “1992 consensus” when he spoke to Xi, Tsai said.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
In the public portion of the Ma-Xi meeting, Ma only mentioned the “one China” part of the consensus, but said he raised the “different interpretations” part in their private meeting.
Three years after that meeting, the new “three noes” proposal represents an even greater compromise toward China, Tsai said.
“It seriously hurts Taiwan’s sovereignty and sends a wrong message to the international community that Taiwan will yield to Chinese suppression at a time when China has spared no effort to bully Taiwan,” she said.
China has used every means to suppress Taiwan, including buying its diplomatic allies, depriving it of its right to take part in international activities, sending military jets and vessels to encircle Taiwan, and by spreading fake news to create conflict, Tsai said.
“At such a time, Taiwanese need to be united in facing external perils,” she said.
Ma, as a former president, has an unavoidable responsibility to uphold the nation’s sovereignty, she added.
Tsai also challenged the KMT, of which Ma is a member, to voice its opinion of Ma’s proposal and urged it to stand on the side of Taiwanese in upholding the nation’s sovereignty.
Responding to Tsai’s charges, Ma’s office said that Tsai had made “an ostentatious show with pompous remarks” on the issue.
“Tsai was clearly aiming to rally support for the [Nov. 24] election campaign. She was manipulating public sentiment and purposely distorted the content of Ma’s speech. It is not a demeanor befitting our nation’s leader and we regret that she did so,” the office said in a statement.
“Tsai should focus on how to solve the [nation’s] economic problems and respond to the public’s needs. She should not stir up the contentious issue of unification versus independence to sow discord and tear Taiwanese society apart, all because she and her party have found that the election campaign is not going their way,” it added.
Tsai has falsely accused Ma of surrendering the nation’s sovereignty, “but Ma is no longer the president and right now it is the DPP that is the ruling power in government, the legislature, and holds sway in most local governments, so how can Ma surrender our sovereignty?” it said.
The DPP is obviously trying to salvage its election prospects by stirring conflict through the old unification versus independence issue, KMT spokesman Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said.
“Tsai and her entire ruling party have resorted to the old ways, using the same old tactics to save their flailing election campaign,” he said.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS