People First Party (PFP) spokesman Hsieh Kung-pin (
During Chen's telephone call with Soong, Hsieh said at a press conference, Soong emphasized multiple times his commitment to the 10-point consensus formulated between him and Chen in February. He added that his commitment to those points would not change or be swayed by the political situation within the nation.
Respect
Hsieh also refused to confirm or deny Chen's remarks that there had been a second, secret Chen-Soong meeting, saying only that the PFP understands and respects Chen's comments.
During their high-profile meeting in February, Chen and Soong formulated a 10-point agreement on cross-strait relations, national defense and ethnic relations that confirmed their mutual support for the institution of the Republic of China.
Since the meeting with Chen, Soong and the PFP have repeatedly referred to the 10-point consensus as the underlying principle on which their stance on cross-strait relations is based, leading to speculation that the relationship between the administration and the nation's third-largest party is friendlier than appearances might suggest.
Yesterday however, the PFP stressed that Soong is heading to China on Thursday only in his capacity as PFP chairman and does not represent the government.
"Our position is clear. We do not represent the [Taiwanese] authorities," Hsieh said.
At the press conference, Hsieh also emphasized that both Soong and the PFP have long supported the so-called "1992 consensus" and that that support will not change.
Given that both Chen and Soong were expressing mutual support for each other's journeys, Hsieh said, Saturday's telephone was not recorded and there was also no purpose in keeping the phone call secret.
Chen left on a trip to visit South Pacific allies on Sunday.
Talks with Beijing
PFP lawmaker Lee Yung-ping (
Lee, also a caucus whip, said Soong and Hu will go into concrete details and set up a cooperation structure to help bolster interaction between Taiwan and China on a wide range of issues when the two meet early this month in Beijing.
Among the many issues on the table will be the question of how China can help Taiwan enter the World Health Organization, she said, adding that the two men will not sign any accord or issue any press communique following their meeting.
The consensus reached between Soong and Hu will be recorded in written form and submitted to the government for reference, she said.
China might accelerate its strategic actions toward Taiwan, the South China Sea and across the first island chain, after the US officially entered a military conflict with Iran, as Beijing would perceive Washington as incapable of fighting a two-front war, a military expert said yesterday. The US’ ongoing conflict with Iran is not merely an act of retaliation or a “delaying tactic,” but a strategic military campaign aimed at dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and reshaping the regional order in the Middle East, said National Defense University distinguished adjunct lecturer Holmes Liao (廖宏祥), former McDonnell Douglas Aerospace representative in Taiwan. If
Prosecutors in New Taipei City yesterday indicted 31 individuals affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for allegedly forging thousands of signatures in recall campaigns targeting three Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The indictments stem from investigations launched earlier this year after DPP lawmakers Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) and Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城) filed criminal complaints accusing campaign organizers of submitting false signatures in recall petitions against them. According to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, a total of 2,566 forged recall proposal forms in the initial proposer petition were found during the probe. Among those
ECHOVIRUS 11: The rate of enterovirus infections in northern Taiwan increased last week, with a four-year-old girl developing acute flaccid paralysis, the CDC said Two imported cases of chikungunya fever were reported last week, raising the total this year to 13 cases — the most for the same period in 18 years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The two cases were a Taiwanese and a foreign national who both arrived from Indonesia, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said. The 13 cases reported this year are the most for the same period since chikungunya was added to the list of notifiable communicable diseases in October 2007, she said, adding that all the cases this year were imported, including 11 from
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
RSS