KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday to solve its internal conflicts and seek a consensus on major national policies before planning more meetings with the KMT chairman.
After a meeting between KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Monday, other DPP leaders, including Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun expressed their willingness to meet with the opposition leader.
On Tuesday, Ma downplayed the possibility of meeting with any DPP leaders in the near future, saying he had been disappointed by the "unproductive" meeting.
Cheng yesterday restated the party's lukewarm attitude toward discussing issues with the DPP.
"The DPP's plight is that President Chen, with his reckless approach in dealing with major issues, leaves no room for discussion among party elites," she said yesterday at KMT headquarters. "The most important thing for the DPP now is to find common ground on major national policies."
Cheng said Ma's decision to arrange a meeting with Chen had mainly been to share his experiences from his US trip, to help mend differences between the parties and to seek ways to improve people's livelihoods.
The DPP leadership's eagerness to meet with Ma reflected their party's concerns about its own future, and before it solved its own problems, the KMT would "politely refuse to hold any meetings with the DPP," the spokeswoman said.
Asked whether Ma would attend a national conference on sustainable economic growth to be convened by the Executive Yuan this summer, she quoted Ma as saying that the government should "just do it" instead of simply talking about the issue.
Cheng suggested that the DPP focus on implementing the outcome of the first national economic development conference in order to revive the economy.
"The KMT has no plans to take part in a KMT-DPP summit," she said.
Director of the KMT's Chinese Affairs Department Chang Rong-kung (張榮恭) yesterday questioned the Executive Yuan's intentions, saying that it had invited opposition parties to the conference to gain their endorsement of its cross-strait policies.
"Unless the government declares that the outcome of the meeting will change President Chen's policy of `active management,' any meeting between the ruling and opposition camp won't be necessary," he said.
Chang said many conclusions reached at the first national economic development conference, such as the promotion of direct flights and the three links, had not been implemented by the DPP government.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
RSS