A more agreeable view regarding cross-strait issues will be reached between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) during their meeting today, Presidential Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
"I believe that after [today's] Chen-Soong meeting, both [Chen and Soong] would have more agreeable views than in the past about cross-strait relations. The meeting itself would be meaningful as well in establishing mechanisms and legal bases for issues concerning cross-strait peace development," Yu said. He made the remarks in response to media queries concerning today's highly anticipated Chen-Soong meeting.
The summit, the second to be held between Chen and Soong since 2000, will take place this morning at the Taipei Guest House. Cross-strait relations, ethnic harmony, national security and defense have been agreed by both sides as the three main topics to be discussed during the meeting.
"President Chen's administration and Soong's PFP each has its own ideals and stances on issues," Yu said.
"It is our hope that similarities could be found amid the differences, and that the Chen-Soong meeting would produce the greatest common denominator [on discussed issues]," he said.
Noting that Soong has wanted to push his party's proposed cross-strait peace advancement law, whereas Chen wishes to establish the Committee for Cross-Strait Peace and Development (兩岸和平發展委員會) via which to draft Guidelines to Cross-Strait Peace Development (兩岸和平發展綱領), Yu said that aides to both sides would further deliberate and communicate about the details after general principles have been laid down in the meeting.
Both Chen and Soong will not speak about details during their meeting, but would mainly have a discussion in terms of their general direction, principles and policies, Yu said.
When asked for comments regarding the PFP's previous claim that the DPP ought to abandon its Taiwan Independence clause (台獨黨綱) and the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan (PCT), which on Monday asked whether the DPP has forsaken its principles, Yu, noting that the president had in his inaugural speech and National Day address clearly delineated issues concerning the nation's status, future and cross-strait relations, said "these ideals will not be changed."
Stating that the president has been receptive to the PCT's admonitions, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ma Yung-cheng (
"The purpose of the Chen-Soong meeting is to help advance cross-strait peace and people's wellbeing," Ma said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS