The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday it would push for a referendum on the country's bid to join the UN and other international organizations under a "practical" name and flexible strategy that would increase the nation's chances of being accepted in more international organizations.
The move is aimed at countering President Chen Shui-bian's (
"The KMT's strategy of applying for UN membership by adopting a name that would increase the country's chances [of being admitted] while protecting the nation's dignity is more practical," KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) told a press conference yesterday.
Arguing that the KMT has been supportive to Taiwan's UN bid, Wu lashed out at Chen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for "playing a fake game" with its referendum proposal.
"The DPP's referendum proposal [can] only limit the country's international space ... We are using the right way ... with a practical proposal," he said.
KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) joined in his party's call yesterday for a more practical and flexible manner in which to apply for UN membership.
"The pan-blue and pan-green camps share the same goal of helping Taiwan re-enter the UN, but we should use a name that won't damage the trust of our allies," Ma said, while declining to comment on the name that should be used for the UN bid.
Ma said that Taiwan had joined the WTO under the name "The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" and APEC under the name "Chinese Taipei." In light of these, he said, the government should be more flexible on the name issue.
The KMT's central standing committee is expected to pass the referendum proposal next Wednesday, whereupon it would start to rally for the proposal.
DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) expressed his support for Chen's planned referendum yesterday, adding that pushing Taiwan's participation at the UN had always been one of his concerns and not just an election ploy.
In response to the US State Department's criticism of Chen's proposed referendum, Hsieh, who is scheduled to visit the US next month, said he would communicate with US officials on the issue.
"Taiwan cherishes its friendship with the US, but we need to have more communication with [Washington] on Taiwan's positions," Hsieh said.
At a separate event yesterday, the president urged his opponents to stop politicizing his proposed referendum, saying that Taiwanese have the right to hold referendums as it is a fundamental human right.
Chen said his proposed referendum does not constitute an attempt to change the country's name, nor does it violate his "four noes" pledge.
The "four noes" refer to Chen's promise in 2000 that as long as China does not use military force against Taiwan, he would not declare independence, not change the national title, not enshrine the "state-to-state" model in the Constitution, nor endorse a referendum on formal independence.
Chen made the remarks while addressing a commencement ceremony organized by the Central Personnel Administration in Taipei yesterday morning.
Chen spent almost 30 minutes talking about Beijing's repression of Taiwan's efforts to participate in international activities.
Chen said China's suppression of Taiwan has never relented, no matter who was in power.
The missiles targeted at Taiwan and deployed along China's southeast coast have increased fivefold in the past seven years. China's defense spending has showed double-digit growth each year and has exceeded the needs of its self-defense, he said.
The world must heed China's military buildup and the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait, he said.
He said China is bolstering its combat readiness in a three-stage preparation for war.
Beijing has set a goal of establishing contingency-response combat capabilities by the end of the year, building up its combat capabilities for large-scale military engagement by 2010 and ensuring victory in a decisive battle by 2015.
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
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
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
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai