The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) passed a resolution in its weekly Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday declaring its full support for President Chen Shui-bian's (
Abolishing the council and the guidelines contributed to the nation's effort to prevent the status quo from slanting toward unification and to resist China's attempt to "gradually annex" Taiwan, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said.
"Since China passed its `Anti-Secession' Law in 2005, it has built up a cooperative platform with ... the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] to attack Taiwan's democracy," Yu said. "Then KMT chairman [Lien Chan (
Yu added that this had led the "status quo" to tend toward unification and that Taiwanese were losing the freedom to choose their own future.
The abolition of the NUC would be an inevitable outcome of the nation's democratization, he added.
Yu said that the NUC and the guidelines, which were passed by the KMT's Central Standing Committee in 1990 as part of a long-term strategy for eventual unification with China, lack legitimacy and violate the spirit of self-determination.
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
"The president should think twice and avoid damaging Taiwan-US relations," Ma said yesterday. "He should take full responsibility for the move, instead of shifting the blame onto me."
Ma reminded reporters of Chen's pledges during his inauguration speeches in 2000 and 2004 in which the president promised that during his term, abolishing the unification council or guidelines would "not be an issue."
"Now he suddenly says the guidelines are ridiculous, so of course the US will be surprised ... I hope that he keeps his promises and stops shifting the blame onto others," he added.
Chen's supporters have stressed that the pledges were made on the condition that China had no intention to use military force against Taiwan -- and that China's continued missile buildup since 2000 demonstrated such intent.
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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