The DPP yesterday hoped to cool off an internal debate over the meaning of the "one China" principle after party chairman Frank Hsieh (
In response to the turmoil, members of the party's New Century faction, which has come out against Hsieh's request, said the party should convene a seminar by the end of the year to finalize its definition of the "one China" principle.
"Hsieh's remarks represent not just a concession by the party, but a surrender [on cross-strait negotiations]. The party should stick to what President Chen Shui-bian (
"[The DPP] should sing a single tune [on cross-strait policies] after an internal discussion is completed," Taipei County Commissioner Su Chen-chang (
The debate has raged while the party awaits the announcement of a consensus reached by the President's Advisory Group on Cross Strait Relations (
"For the sake of [Hsieh], we should not attack him every time he makes comments. It's not good for the DPP's image," CSC member and a representative in the cross-strait policy advisory group Trong Chai (
"The meaning of `one China' has strictly been defined as the People's Republic of China in the international community, therefore, we should not fall into the trap," Chai added.
Echoing Chai, DPP Legislator Chen Zau-nan (
"The `one China' framework does not exist in our Constitution," Chen said.
Despite the strong backlash, a CSC member Chiu Yi-ying (
"I think Chairman Hsieh has proposed a creative way of thinking for the party's stance on cross-strait relations," Chiu said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source