President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday hinted that he will forge ahead with the abolition of the National Unification Council (NUC) and unification guidelines, saying that he will continue to "do the right thing" and "walk the right way."
"No matter how bad the situation is, only faith, enthusiasm and unity can give us the power to march ahead without fear," he said. "It is like a train going through a tunnel. Some people are afraid of the darkness, but as long as the train keeps moving, they'll eventually see the light and hope at the end of the tunnel."
Chen made the remarks last night at a Lunar New Year dinner held by the Association of Tainan County Residents in Taipei City at the Ambassador Hotel. Chen, a native of Tainan, said that as China increased the number of missiles targeted at Taiwan along its southeastern coast from 706 last year to 784 this year, Taiwan's giant neighbor has significantly heightened cross-strait tension and threatened regional security.
"China has aggressively expanded its military capability and is honing its combat readiness in a three-stage preparation for war against us," he said.
The Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review also indicated that China, one of the regions major and emerging powers, has the greatest potential to "compete militarily with the US and field disruptive military technologies that could over time offset traditional US military advantages," he said.
As head of state, Chen said it is his responsibility and mission to safeguard the safety of the nation. He also called on the public to take heed of China's military buildup and political ambitions after it passed the "Anti-Secession" Law about a year ago.
"The US government has publicly criticized the law and asked Beijing to right its wrong," he said. "However, a year has passed and China has further split our country."
Chen also lambasted Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
"Only the Taiwanese people have the right to decide the future of Taiwan, not one single party or individual," Chen said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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