The head of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said he hoped a planned show of people power will convince China to scrap its new "Anti-Secession" Law, or Taipei may be forced to take more provocative action.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
Su said the legislation was a threat to world peace and fuelled independence sentiment in Taiwan, negating other gestures from China like the offer of economic incentives to aid Beijing's goal of peaceful unification.
"It's like slicing someone's head with an axe, then giving him a lollipop and hoping that can solve the problem," Su said in his first media interview since taking office in January.
"We hope the whole world can see that in the Taiwan Strait, it is China that is using its power to cause trouble," he said.
"We hope that while there is still time, the international community can make this law cease to exist," said Su, who is seen as one of the front-runners for the 2008 presidential race.
Su's appeal came as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Chinese leaders in Beijing.
Pro-independence politicians in Taiwan have criticized President Chen Shui-bian (
"The ruling party's stance is that we hope to resolve the problem with the most peaceful and self-restrained measures. We do not hope to raise the stakes to direct confrontation and opposition," Su said.
"But if we are forced to the point where we have no choice, then things may become more antagonistic and intense. But that is something we do not wish to see," he said.
Su said the DPP did not want to provoke China, sticking to the relatively conciliatory tone set by Chen since last December's legislative elections.
Although the DPP's charter sets Taiwan independence from China as its final goal, Su did not rule out unification as a possible outcome.
A Hualien pomelo farmer refused to sell to China after the country announced it would permit more Taiwanese pomelo imports, prompting widespread support from Taiwanese consumers, who rallied to buy his fruit. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said that China’s General Administration of Customs registered an additional 79 Taiwanese pomelo orchards and packing facilities in Hualien County, allowing more Taiwanese producers to export pomelos to China. “I am a Hualien fruit farmer and I refuse to sell to China,” Liu Tzu-hao (劉子豪) from Ruisui Township (瑞穗) said in an online post. Liu is a well-known farmer in the community and has served
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
UPDATE: The submarine would need to undergo combined systems testing and crew training for navy personnel before it is ready for mission, an expert said Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun (Narwhal, 海鯤), could be delivered to the navy as early as next month, military expert and Taiwan Association for Security and Development chairman Chi Tung-yun (紀東昀) said yesterday. The submarine was yesterday morning observed departing for its 21st sea trial and its 15th submerged test. The vessel missed the initial delivery deadline of November last year due to “testing delays,” its primary contractor, shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan, said in June. The contractor also cited “political pressure from China” in procuring critical equipment. All testing operations are in the final stages, with the
Six NT$10 million (US$315,527) special prizes and seven NT$2 million grand prizes in Taiwan's May-June uniform invoice lottery remained unclaimed as of today, including one NT$10 million winner who spent only NT$10 on an Uber Eats delivery order, the Ministry of Finance said. The ministry said the 13 winners need to claim their prizes by Nov. 5. The eight-digit serial number that won the NT$10 million special prize for May-June was 38548029, with 18 winning receipts in total. The NT$2 million grand prize number was 10138845, of which there were 22 winning receipts, the ministry said. In addition to the receipt issued for an
RSS