The establishment of a "China Union" modeled on the EU to integrate Taiwan and China is unlikely to occur, a French academic said yesterday in Taipei.
The cross-strait "China Union," or "common market," has often been promoted by former premier Vincent Siew (
The problem of the "China Union" idea lies in the size of China and its 1.3 billion population, which is a huge difference compared with Taiwan's territory and its 23 million people, Thierry de Montbrial said in a speech to the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (ECCT) that examined the EU-China and future Taiwan-China relations.
De Montbrial founded the French Institute for International Relations (IFPI), a think tank, in 1979 and has been its president ever since.
He is scheduled to meet President Chen Shui-bian (
Cross-strait relations have been deadlocked mainly because of the rhetoric used by each side, he said, adding that the situation could be different 20 years from now if prudent conscience can be developed on both sides.
Citing research conducted by the IFRI on China's future as a global player, de Montbrial said China wants peace for its domestic development and wants to avoid any conflict -- including in its relations with Taiwan. The only exception would be a Taiwanese declaration of independence, he said.
"China will be open to any arrangement other than that," he said.
The EU model cannot be replicated because the EU was born under a specific atmosphere, environment and set of circumstances, he said.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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