Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
During a visit to the Los Angeles-based think tank the Rand Corporation, academics questioned Ma about the feasibility of his proposed China policy initiatives -- the "five dos."
Ma introduced a program for engagement with China in a speech at Harvard University on March 20, which he labeled the "five dos."
The five points of the initiative are: To resume negotiations between Taiwan and China based on the so-called "1992 consensus" (agreeing to disagree about the definition of "one China"); to reach a peace accord with confidence building measures; to facilitate economic exchanges with the aim of eventually establishing a common market; to work with China to boost Taiwan's presence in international bodies and to expand educational and cultural exchanges.
Ma said that four out of the "five dos" had already been mostly implemented, as result of former KMT chairman Lien Chan's (
"As for the fifth one, concerning education, I think it shouldn't pose too much of a problem," Ma said.
During his stay in Los Angeles, Ma also had an interview with CNN, in which he reiterated the KMT's hope of signing an accord with China that would promise cross-strait peace for a period of 30-50 years.
Ma also visited Los Angeles Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa. The two vowed to promote artistic exchanges between the two cities.
They also shared views and experiences regarding respective municipal projects, such as the provision of wireless broadband Internet services, but Villaraigosa said his city was "obviously behind" Taipei City on this issue.
Ma also gave a speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council entitled "Peace and Stability in East Asia -- Taiwan's Role."
The content of the speech was more or less the same as a previous speech he delivered to the Brookings Institute in Washington last week.
Ma is slated to return to Taiwan early today from Los Angeles -- the last leg of a US tour that has taken him to New York, Boston, Washington and San Francisco.
Back in Taipei, the KMT caucus yesterday held a news conference to praise Ma's performance as he concluded his visit to the US.
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
RSS