Taiwan will send delegations to the US, Europe and Japan to try to assure them a controversial referendum would not change the nation's political status quo with China, a group member said yesterday.
Parris Chang (
"As a major power, China should be more responsible and not behave like a bully," Chang, whose delegation will visit Britain, France, Germany and EU officials, said.
"We do not seek to change the status quo. We certainly don't use this referendum for independence as such. We do hope this referendum could accomplish peace," Chang said.
The delegations of senior officials and academics are scheduled to leave Taiwan on Friday and plan to meet with officials, lawmakers, think tanks and media in those countries.
China condemned Chen on Wednesday for saying he was waging a "holy war" against it, calling him immoral and accusing him of fanning anti-Beijing sentiment to win votes.
Chen shows no signs of backing down on holding the "peace referendum" alongside presidential elections on March 20, despite a blunt warning from US President George W. Bush against either side upsetting the status quo.
But Chen's chief of staff, Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), became the first in the president's camp to admit the referendum plan could become an election liability for Chen if the government failed to ease international concerns, local newspapers reported yesterday.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS