A legislator of the ruling DPP called yesterday for equal sovereignty and peaceful exchanges with China, in a tentative response to Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (
Trong Chai (
Chai said that he will take into consideration views from all quarters before deciding whether to submit his proposed response, which he said has the endorsement of some of his DPP colleagues, to the DPP Central Standing Committee meeting.
PHOTO: CHU YU-PIN, TAIPEI TIMESN
Jiang called in his speech for Taiwan to shelve political disputes and resume cross-strait dialogue as soon as possible on the basis of the "one China" principle.
Chai said that "to implement Taiwan's independent sovereignty is the common hope of Taiwan's people." After Taiwan completed the peaceful political changeover in 2000, "we are now fighting for the goal of entering the United Nations," he said.
"As there is only one China, so Taiwan and China are two countries on either side of the Taiwan Strait," Chai said, adding that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China do not cover Taiwan.
"We adamantly support any words or deeds that identify with Taiwan's independent sovereignty; one China, one Taiwan; and one country on each side," Chai added.
He also said that on the basis of "equal sovereignty," both sides should put aside political disputes and resume cross-strait dialogue and negotiations, adding that "we would like to exchange views with China's party, political and military officials and all others, on the development of cross-strait relations and promotion of peaceful exchanges."
Saying that "we place our hope on the mainland authorities" to solve the cross-strait issue, Chai claimed that the Taiwan people have a "great tradition" of democracy and freedom and that the DPP "will fully protect the lifestyle of the Taiwan people and their wish to be their own masters."
"Cross-strait trade, postal and transportation links should provide a chance for government-to-government negotiation" and such talks should be conducted under the premise of "parity and dignity," he said.
Chai criticized Beijing's formula of "one country, two systems" as the worst approach for cross-strait exchanges, saying that only under the premise of "parity and dignity" can new chances for cross-strait exchanges be achieved.
Taiwan must determine its own fate and "the issue of referendum cannot be postponed indefinitely," Chai said, saying that with the passage of a referendum law, the destiny of Taiwan would be clearly defined.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai