Premier Su Tseng-chang (
"If we finish all the necessary negotiations, direct chartered flights during the Dragon Boat Festival will become a reality," Su said.
Su made his remarks in response to a question by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Chen-nan (
Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chi (
She added though that the government was hoping that the chartered flight issue can be combined with the lifting of the ban on Chinese visitors so "there will be more benefits for the government."
In response to Su and Kuo's comment, Lee showed statistics from an online survey that said 33 percent of Taiwanese people do not welcome Chinese visitors, as they are concerned over the potential spread of diseases and national security.
"We cannot simply lift the ban on Chinese visitors before relevant [safeguard] mechanisms are set up," Lee said.
Having answered Lee's question, Su went on to say that former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (
Su told lawmakers he was disappointed at Lien's failure to promote the idea of "one China with each side having its own interpretation." This, the premier, said would be an acknowledgement of Hu's recognition of the existence of the Republic of China and should put a stop to Beijing's blocking of Taiwan in international settings.
Touching on other cross-strait issues, Su said that the government would not recognize diplomas from Chinese academic institutions without first studying the potential impact of the initiative on the development of Taiwan's education system.
"Recognizing diplomas earned in China is not only a political issue, but also a difficult task that needs careful consideration as it would affect Taiwanese students' rights, opportunities and benefits," Su said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition