US Secretary of State Colin Powell's change of phrase in a television interview yesterday does not indicate that he has retracted an earlier denial of Taiwan's sovereignty, pan-blue officials said yesterday.
"Powell did not actually say himself that he misspoke nor did he retract his earlier remarks. I don't see how his interview makes any difference," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesperson Chang Jung-kung (
Powell created a political shockwave when he strayed from Washington's long-standing policy in two different television interviews on Monday.
In the interviews, Powell denied that Taiwan is a sovereign nation and said that the US hoped for a "peaceful reunification" of China and Taiwan.
Speaking on the US network CNBC on Wednesday, Powell changed tack, referring to "a peaceful resolution of the problem" between Taiwan and China, but did mention or clarify his previous comments about cross-strait "reunification."
Since Monday, opposition parties have seized upon Powell's remarks as proof that the actions of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration have antagonized Taiwan-US relations and increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Pan-blue parties were left similarly unimpressed by Powell's latest interview.
"The PFP [People First Party] holds to its prior position about Powell's comments. We are now tasting the consequences of Chen's policies. All I can say is that the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] government has shown lousy implementation of foreign policy and has isolated Taiwan," PFP spokesperson Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) said yesterday.
Despite Powell's seeming change of heart on Wednesday, Hwang said he believed that Powell's original comments still stand.
Chang agreed.
"So what if he [Powell] said that the US is hoping for a `peaceful resolution?' Of course it does; would it want an un-peaceful resolution?" Chang said.
Taiwan should take Powell's original comments as the possible consensus of the US leadership and bring about a policy change accordingly, Chang said.
Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said that Powell's remarks and actions reminded him of "similar things that happened when the US broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan."
"Powell chose to be interviewed by CNN and Phoenix TV. While CNN broadcasts to the whole world, Phoenix TV speaks to the Chinese community worldwide. Powell's remarks have also been published on the US State Department's Web site, and the act seems to be telling the whole world about Powell's ideas," Wang said.
Wang said that Taiwan should collect further information on the matter before making any judgment.
Additional reporting by Debby Wu
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS