Opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
In a speech delivered at the opening of the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance's campaign office in Kinmen, Lien, the alliance's presidential candidate, said he wished to turn Kinmen into a model for cross-strait peace.
"Once I am elected president, I will make pushing for the demilitarization of the Kinmen region and [China's coastal city of] Xiamen a priority, so that they can become a trial area for cross-strait peace (
The Kinmen group is at its nearest only 1.5km from Xiamen.
Lien's proposal was similar to plans already drawn up by the Ministry of National Defense, which announced last October plans to demilitarize six islands in the Kinmen group and open them for tourism, after placing them under the administration of the coast guard and the Kinmen police.
The ministry, however, did not make public the timetable for demilitarization of the six islands. It also stressed that it would not withdraw all of the troops from the region until China retracts its threat to use force against Taiwan.
"In order to promote cross-strait peace, leaders of both sides of the Strait should use sincerity and wisdom, stop engaging in guessing-games and take substantial action to work together and resolve both sides' differences," Lien said.
At the launch of the Kinmen campaign office, which he presided over with his running mate, PFP Chairman James Soong (
With that said, Lien criticized President Chen Shui-bian (
"Proposals spoken by Chen are issues that I've already been promoting," said Lien. "In the past four years, Chen has not done much, and is now doing all the talking because election day is approaching."
Lien was referring to Chen's announcement regarding China-based Taiwanese businesspeople Friday night.
Chen, in a speech given Friday at an annual Lunar New Year gathering with approximately 130 officials from China-based Taiwanese business associations, spelled out four expanded benefits, which included the opening of "small three links" services to the families of China-based Taiwanese businesspeople, expanding the coverage of the national health insurance program to China-based Taiwanese and education subsidies for the children of Taiwanese businesspeople in China.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS