Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday that the special task force on cross-strait affairs that the legislature is planning to set up will facilitate direct and effective exchanges between Taiwan and China.
As to his proposal to invite Wu Bangguo (吳邦國), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, to visit, Wang said the proposal will have to be approved by the task force and the legislature before it can be carried out.
Wang, who is also a vice chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), put forth the proposal on Tuesday and immediately met opposition from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan Solidarity Union legislators.
As for the visit to China by KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (
Wang said the KMT hopes to do something for the country and should not be mistaken as intending to conduct some kind of peace talks with the Chinese Communist Party.
According to Wang, the KMT is seeking various means to try to remove the barriers between the two sides.
For example, Wang said, a visit by a KMT delegation earlier this year helped clear the way for the launch of the cross-strait Lunar New Year charter flights.
He said that the visit to China by KMT members is a kind of civil exchange and that the KMT does not represent the country without the government's authorization.
He also said that the postponement of the KMT chairmanship election until July has nothing to do with Chairman Lien Chan's (
DPP Legislator Trong Chai (
Chai also called Wang's proposal to recognize Chinese academic degrees "a very dangerous thing," warning that "Taiwan could be subverted" by people who receive education in China if the proposal is adopted by the government.
Lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang, also of the DPP, said inviting Wu to Taiwan is not something the country and its people need.
He urged Wang to stop using cross-Taiwan Strait issues as a means of boosting his chances of winning his competition with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
DPP Legislator Pan Meng-an, meanwhile, accused Wang of betraying the sovereignty of Taiwan just to win the support of pan-blue alliance hardliners.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
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