Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday that Taiwan's National Unification Guidelines are similar in spirit to China's "Anti-Secession" Law in that they both assume unification to be the ultimate goal of cross-strait relations -- an assumption that violates the people's freedom of choice.
"The National Unification Guidelines are similar to certain articles of China's `Anti-Secession' Law as both advocate unification. [This] could easily confuse international society. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether to keep the guidelines, in order to safeguard the opportunity for Taiwanese people to decide their own future," Wu said yesterday during an interview with a local TV station.
Wu also objected to recent US State Department statements that Taiwan's joining the UN under the name of "Taiwan" would constitute a unilateral change to the cross-strait status quo.
"President [George W.] Bush made freedom and democracy the most important goals of America's foreign policy in his 2004 presidential inaugural speech, and he reiterated that stance in his latest `state of the union' speech. So why would Taiwan, a free and democratic country, be seen as changing the status quo if it wants to join the UN under the name `Taiwan'?" Wu asked.
While the proposal to abolish the unification guidelines and National Unification Council is still being reviewed by the government, it is important to make the US understand that China is the one undermining the status quo through its rapid military buildup against Taiwan, Wu said.
At a separate event yesterday, Vice President Annette Lu (
"The Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] is only checking to see if the food has begun to stink after being frozen in the refrigerator for so many years," Lu said while giving a speech at a trade union gathering in Taoyuan County.
Wu also told a TV interviewer yesterday that it would be impossible to realize direct fights between China and Taiwan during his tenure as MAC chairman unless the appropriate government-to-government negotiations take place.
Wu also warned on China's destructive tactics against Taiwan, citing Chinese President Hu Jintao's (
Wu said that intelligence sources reported recently that Hu demanded that Taiwanese businessmen in Fujian Province provide new agricultural technology to China every month.
"This is basically a way to destroy Taiwan's agriculture," Wu said, adding the leak of important technology to China could threaten Taiwan's agricultural competitiveness.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
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The Taipei District Court today ruled to extend the incommunicado detention of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) for two more months as part of an ongoing corruption trial. Codefendants in the case — real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ko's former mayoral office head Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) — were granted bail of NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) and NT$20 million respectively. Sheen and Lee would also be barred from leaving the country for eight months and prohibited from contact with, harassing, threatening or inquiring after the case with codefendants or witnesses. The two would also be
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