Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Chen (陳唐山) said Thursday that his ministry is working on strategies aimed at putting China's controversial "Anti-Secession" Law up for debate at the UN via Taiwan's diplomatic allies.
Chen said that Beijing has called on allied pro-China countries to push for a publicity drive on its enactment of the Anti-Secession Law, a piece of legislation which he said has triggered a "tidal wave" of opposition and concern worldwide.
To counter Beijing's lobbying efforts, Chen said, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked out several strategies of its own, including sending Taiwanese publicity groups to important and influential countries to make the nation's stance more clearly known, and distributing President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) position papers through the nation's diplomatic missions overseas.
The ministry also hopes that cross-strait disputes that have arisen from the enactment of the law can be introduced the UN General Assembly for debate through Taiwan's diplomatic allies.
Regarding allegations that Beijing will make some concessions on the diplomatic front as a form of compensation to Taiwan after passing the legislation, the foreign affairs minister described this as wishful thinking.
Mark Chen added that if China is sincere in wanting to mend fences with Taiwan, it should help the nation improve its "living space" in the international community instead of giving Taiwan "tiny favors."
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a