People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Su was commenting on Soong's remarks in a speech delivered at Tsinghua University in Beijing earlier in the day. Soong said that Taiwan independence is a dead-end and should never be an option.
Noting that Soong is visiting China in his capacity as PFP head, Su said Soong does not have the right to "make any decision on behalf of the people of Taiwan during his China journey."
"The people of Taiwan are entitled to all kinds of options for their future. No option should be ruled out arbitrarily. Independence is an option. Soong himself can oppose Taiwan independence, but he is not entitled to rule out this option on behalf of Taiwan's people," Su said.
The Cabinet yesterday echoed this view, affirming the PFP chairman's efforts to promote Taiwan's economic experience, but adding that the PFP's policy does not represent all the people of Taiwan.
"Taiwan is a democratic country. Everybody has the right to speak out, no matter what kind of voice it will be. So do political parties," Cabinet spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
"But any individual political party's voice cannot represent Taiwan's 23 million people," Cho said.
Cho made the remarks at a press conference held after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
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