Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday delivered a tirade against Japan and the US, calling on the public to get behind the "defensive referendum" proposed by President Chen Shui-bian (
"While the US government doesn't have the guts to stand up to China, we Taiwanese people must stick together and do it for ourselves," DPP Legislator Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖) said. "We want to tell the US, Japan and the rest of the world that we want the defensive referendum and we want it for the sake of self-defense, nothing else."
Tang, speaking at a press conference yesterday morning, also upbraided the US for its unilateralism.
"A volley of opposition recently expressed by US officials, including US President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, has highlighted one thing: that is, the US government cares about nothing but its own national interest. It couldn't care less about us," Tang said.
Since the US has already benefited from Taiwan politically, commercially and militarily, Tang said, Taiwan's national interest means little to the US.
"Why bother to care so much about the opinions of such a selfish friend?" Tang said.
Likening the battle over the referendum to the War of Independence, another DPP lawmaker, Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬), questioned the US government's commitment to democracy.
"I'm very curious to know why the American people can be their own lord and master but we can't," Su said.
While the nation was thrilled about the passage of the Referendum Law (
"Is this the democratic value they claim to take pride in and embrace?" Su asked.
DPP Legislator Kuo Jung-chung (
"They thought the defensive referendum was bound to fail because it lacks the support of such superpowers as Japan and the US. What they overlook here, however, is the power of the people," Kuo said.
"We want to tell the world this time around that we refuse to be a watch dog obsequiously wagging its tail before its master," Kuo said.
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
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
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS