President Chen Shui-bian (
Speaking in response to recent comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage that the US is not legally bound to defend Taiwan in the case of a cross-strait war, KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (
The US already issued a previous warning to Taiwan, when US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in October media interviews that Taiwan was not a sovereign nation, Chang said.
The current warning from Armitage, coming on the heels of the increased pressure Taiwan is facing from China with its recently-proposed anti-secession bill, indicates that the US is trying to distance itself from Taiwan, said Chang, in a move which is disadvantageous to Taiwan.
During a television interview Monday, Armitage identified Taiwan as the biggest landmine in US-China relations. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) does not require the US to defend Taiwan in case of Chinese military action, Armitage said in the interview, adding that the act only commits Washington to sell defensive arms to Taiwan and maintain sufficient force to deter a Chinese attack.
At the press conference yesterday, Chang urged the Chen administration to acknowledge the warning by the US and curtail pro-independence activities.
"If the government can verify, and even tell the people that the situation is serious, the US will feel their warning to us has had its intended effect. If the government continues saying there's nothing wrong, that the US is only communicating China's words, then the US will feel that its words haven't had any effect. Its next words might be even blunter, even clearer, and wound Taiwan even more deeply," Chang said yesterday.
The current situation proves that the KMT's positions on cross-strait relations and sovereignty issues have been right all along, added Chang yesterday.
In comparison with the DPP, which during the run-up to the legislative elections advocated changes to Taiwan's national title and re-writing the constitution, the KMT has staunchly supported retaining the title of the Republic of China and the retention of the status quo, Chang said.
"We knew at the time what kinds of policies a responsible party should take, and now time has proven that our direction was right," Chang said.
Part of the reason why the US has chosen to make its second warning, said Su Chi (
The first myth, said the former Mainland Affairs Council head at yesterday's press conference, is that China is too busy to wage an attack on Taiwan, due to a number of reasons, such as the 2008 Olympics to be held in Beijing.
The second myth, said Su, is that even should China attack Taiwan, the US will defend Taiwan.
Through these two myths, the Chen administration has been encouraging pan-green supporters not to be afraid, we can work for Taiwan's independence, a new constitution, a rectification of Taiwan's name, Su said.
As a result, China and the United States have a tacit understanding to debunk these two myths and are engaging on a "parallel management" of cross-strait relations, Su said, pointing to Armitage's warning and China's anti-secession bill as elements of the two countries' mutual strategy.
"They are telling the Taiwanese people not to trust Chen, he is lying to you," Su said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS