The US informed Taiwanese officials in an official cable that the cooperative handling of Beijing's "Anti-Secession" Law was "working perfectly," an authoritative source revealed yesterday.
A debriefing of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent visit to China, cabled to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, affirmed Taiwan's response to Beijing's legislation, the source said.
Without quoting the specific wording of the statement, the official indicated that the telegraph conveyed that "Taiwan had won this round," referring to Taiwan's international image and responsible handling of its response to the law.
The Anti-Secession Law authorizes the use of "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" against Taiwan.
It was also revealed yesterday that Rice and a high-level Chinese official had a harsh exchange on the topic of the Taiwan Strait crisis, and that the US had made clear its stance without yielding.
"There are many issues to be worked out between the US and China, but the US did not sacrifice Taiwan because of these issues," the source said of Rice's trip to Beijing.
"The US is very strongly opposed to the use of non-peaceful means to resolve the matter," the source said.
The source also ruled out recent media speculation that Beijing might yield on Taiwan's efforts to participate in the World Health Organization.
"China's unyielding stance on the matter of [Taiwan's] arms procurement [from the US] and Taiwan's participation in international organizations left the US with a bad impression," the source said.
The source made it clear that the US felt its coordination with Taiwan could continue and that Washington was not particularly concerned about today's rally in Taipei against the Chinese law.
"They asked about it, but it's not of the utmost priority," the official said, indicating that the US was not concerned about President Chen Shui-bian's [陳水扁] participation in the rally.
"They [US] have not asked who will be participating," the source said.
In addition, Japan has also made clear its disapproval of China's new law, the source said, indicating that high-level Japanese officials had called senior Chinese foreign ministry officials to express "strong opposition" to the legislation.
Earlier in the day, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) also made his disapproval of the law clear, warning that unless Beijing showed respect for Taiwan's democracy "there is no chance for cross-strait relations to go in a positive direction in the short term."
"We ask humbly for [the respect of] two fundamental values: one is peace, the other democracy," Wu said.
"We are angry and we're not going to budge if China limits our freedom of expression," Wu said, urging Beijing to take a "serious look" at today's protest.
For the first time, Wu indicated that he would be participating in today's rally.
Wu also said that in order to better understand Taiwan, it would behoove Beijing to lift its travel bans on members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
"If China allows the DPP, or the TSU -- people who stand on the opposite side of what they want Taiwan to be -- to visit China, then that would be the first line to understanding Taiwan," Wu said.
Council Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS