President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) stance on trips by opposition leaders to China is consistent and has not wavered as his critics claim, Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
"President Chen's attitude toward the opposition leaders' China trips has been consistent. It's just that he expresses different points at different times when he speaks on these issues -- sometimes more tactically while some other times more straightforward," Yu said during a media conference yesterday.
Reporters had asked Yu why Chen had attacked the trip to China by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (江丙坤) while giving KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) China trip his blessing.
Yu said that the government's position has also been clear and consistent in regard to next week's visit to China by People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Media reports have speculated that Washington has placed pressure on the Chen administration to reduce criticism of the trips.
In response to a question on the Presidential Office's communication with the US, Yu said Taiwan and the US had not raised their level or frequency of dialogue over the visits.
"According to my understanding, the president has not met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Douglas Paal for talks on the visits," Yu said.
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ma Yung-cheng (
Comparing national policy to driving a car, Ma said, "The car might sometimes lean a little to the left or to the right, but it never leaves the road. It just makes adjustments according to the traffic lights -- which are the national interest and public opinion."
Ma said the law clearly prevented opposition leaders from signing any agreements or reaching any type of oral accord with the other side of the Taiwan Strait on issues relating to national sovereignty without the consent or authorization of the government.
Asked for comment on Tuesday's clashes between pan-green and pan-blue camp supporters at CKS International Airport, Yu said the Presidential Office supported the Cabinet in its handling of the matter.
"The Presidential Office supports the Cabinet's decisions in the aftermath of the incident," he said, referring to Premier Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) pledge on Tuesday to bring the troublemakers to justice.
"It is regrettable that such a thing happened," he said.
Stating that the violence was the result of long-time confrontation between the rival camps, Yu said, "this is the very reason that President Chen has been promoting reconciliation between the two camps to try to bring an end to their confrontation."
Ma said that the reconciliation process was a difficult one.
"It is impossible for political parties that have been in confrontation with each other for the past four years to all of a sudden [solve their differences] ... in four days," he said.
"It takes time, wisdom and patience to address the rivalry and restore mutual trust between the camps," he said.
"Only time can restore the mutual trust that has been lacking between the ruling and opposition parties in the past years. Only time can prove whether or not both sides are sincere," Ma added, suggesting that both sides sit down for talks to seek a resolution, and that "it does not help to put the blame on either side."
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS