Refusing to take the back seat in shaping Taiwan's destiny, hund-reds of overseas independence activists gathered in Taipei yesterday for the World Taiwanese Congress (WTC) which is taking place over the weekend.
Their arrival is seen as a mixed blessing by the ruling DPP -- once their staunch ally -- with officials who have a big stake in the December elections hesitant to show them warm hospitality.
"Let all who love Taiwan say yes to the [independence] cause," Lee Sheng-hsiung (李勝雄), leader of the Taiwan Independence Party, said at an evening news conference.
The blunt-speaking lawyer likened the Republic of China to the fable "The Emperor's New Clothes" -- saying that it is nonexistent.
The WTC, formed four months ago by more than 90 pro-independence groups worldwide, is to convene its first plenary meeting today and tomorrow in Taipei in part to celebrate the anniversary of President Chen Shui-bian's electoral win.
Some 400 overseas Taiwanese from 17 countries, including Tokyo-based National Policy Advisor Alice King (
Chen, walking a tightrope to pacify foes at home and across the Strait, is expected to avoid controversial language on the sovereignty issue when addressing the WTC forum this morning.
Chang Lipang (張理邦), 55, a resident of Toronto, Canada, expressed the hope that the presence of so many overseas activists would provide some cheer to Chen as well as curb what he sees as Chen's increasing drift away from the independence crusade.
DPP lawmaker Wang To (王拓) was sceptical, however. He said he admired the fortitude demonstrated by the overseas Taiwanese in pursuit of Taiwan sovereignty but warned that their appeal could backfire and harm the Chen administration.
He said that Chen had tried to remain neutral on the issue in the hope of preserving stability, without which the government could not translate its mandate into the ability to deliver its platform.
"The DPP cannot afford to provoke the opposition, whose lawmakers have repeatedly thwarted its policy goals," Wang said.
Wang is seeking another term in the year-end legislative elections.
Echoing Wang's comments, his colleague Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), who lived in the US for two decades, said overseas Taiwanese tend to be less pragmatic when it comes to approaching the sovereignty issue.
He said he recognized that the majority of the electorate prefers to maintain the status quo. A three-term legislator, Shen has made clear he too is seeking re-election later this year.
Hsu Shih-mo (
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS