Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) told lawmakers yesterday that the government will maintain a friendly attitude toward China but will stay reserved when it comes to its relationship with the Chinese government because of Beijing's plans for an "anti-secession" law.
"Our friendly attitude will not change," he said. "However, moving forward has been put on hold. We will have to wait and see because of their recent announcement about establishing an anti-secession law."
Hsieh made the remarks during his first administrative report to the legislature as premier. Yesterday was the first time he had returned to the legislature since he was a legislator 10 years ago.
He said the government insists that the two sides must treat each other equally and peacefully if there are going to be talks.
"We want to solve our problems and we want to solve them harmoniously," he said.
In response to lawmakers' questions about direct links, Hsieh said that it is the Cabinet's policy to keep moving forward but the issue can only be approached if there are no concerns about national security.
"It's believed the anti-secession law will become an excuse for China to use military force to solve cross-strait problems. We have to wait and see how they are going to deal with this when the law is eventually established," he said.
In the meantime, Hsieh said his priority is to try to reignite the economy. So he will continue to help President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) negotiate and work together with the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) opponents, he said.
"We need cooperation instead of hatred, quarrels and unnecessary political attacks," he said.
Meanwhile, independent Legislator Lin Pin-kun (林炳坤), from Penghu, complained about Chen's meeting on Thursday with People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). Lin said the agreement reached by Chen and Soong went against the DPP's Taiwan independence policy.
Hsieh said that it was merely a problem of different definitions.
Hsieh told lawmakers that "Republic of China" has already been "Taiwanized" so it is not a problem if the country calls itself the ROC or "Taiwan."
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard