Hoping to hammer out the details of People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong's (
"The PFP is working for the future of cross-strait relations and to facilitate dialogue between the governments [of China and Taiwan]. We are exerting all our efforts for the Taiwanese people to make a contribution to this land," Chin said yesterday before departing for Beijing via Hong Kong.
At the airport yesterday morning, Chin also said that Soong's trip to China is being made as the chairman of a Taiwanese opposition party and in the spirit of the so-called "1992 consensus."
Accompanying Chin on his trip yesterday were PFP Legislator Lee Yung-ping (李永萍), party policy department head Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), deputy head of the PFP's administrative department Yeh Chia-yu (葉家宇) and deputy communications department head Wu Kun-yu (吳崑玉).
In a statement released by the party Saturday night about Chin's departure, the PFP reiterated its previous stance on Soong's upcoming journey to China. With Taiwan as its top priority and cross-strait peace as its core principle, the PFP hopes to negotiate with China under an atmosphere of mutual respect and sincerity after consolidating the views of both the governing and opposition camps, the statement said.
Soong is expected to visit China within the first 10 days of May. His trip will come on the heels of a similar trip by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
On the KMT side yesterday, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
In regards to the president's attitude on the so-called "1992 consensus," more time is needed to see change, Ma said.
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading