Capping off his tour of China, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Addressing China-based Taiwanese businesspeople over lunch in Shanghai yesterday, Lien said he had encouraged Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) on Friday to give his blessing to Taiwan signing an FTA with ASEAN.
ASEAN will soon emerge as one of the largest markets in the world and Taiwan must not let opportunities slip out of its grasp during this critical period, Lien said.
Lien also emphasized the importance of future economic cooperation between Taiwan and China in light of China's rapid economic growth.
The direction of economic cooperation between China and Taiwan called for the establishment of a "common market" between the two countries, Lien said. He added that Hu promised to facilitate economic and trade proposals formulated during KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun's (
During a press conference in Shanghai, Lien also elaborated on the agreement to open a cross-party communication channel.
KMT Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng (
Besides increasing communication between both parties, the channel would plan forums on cross-strait peace and on economic issues.
Lien spent a busy day in Shanghai yesterday, also meeting with top Chinese negotiator Wang Daohan (
At a press conference held after Lien's private meeting with Wang, KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (
Lien praised Wang as a historical figure in cross-strait relations whom he respected, and thanked Wang for his contributions. He also reminisced with Wang over the late Straits Exchange Foundation head Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫).
Wang met with Koo, Taiwan's top negotiator with China, in an official capacity on two occasions. The first Koo-Wang talks in April 1993 marked the first rendezvous of government-authorized negotiators from China and Taiwan in nearly 50 years.
Koo died aged 88 in March.
During the meeting, Lien presented Wang with a painting by Koo that Koo's widow, Cecilia Koo (
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
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