Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), former premier and the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) vice presidential candidate, yesterday urged critics to stop what he claimed were "twisted attacks" on his cross-strait common market proposal.
Siew made the plea on his return from an overseas trip at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport while answering questions from reporters about President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) comments that a so-called cross-strait common market was in reality a "one China market."
While saying that such attacks are merely "election rhetoric" as the legislative and presidential elections approach, Siew claimed that all similar criticisms are "full of distorted and simplified viewpoints" that can be easily rebutted.
Siew thanked Chen for his encouragement when he set up a foundation several years ago to broach the common market idea, but also questioned why "twisted criticism" of the proposal is now rife.
Saying that although economics cannot always be rid of political influence, he insisted that respecting market mechanisms is the key to improving a nation's economic situation.
The cross-strait common market concept is not the economic centerpiece of the KMT's presidential election campaign, rather the party aims to build an independent, dignified, open and pragmatic economy for Taiwan, Siew said.
After traveling the world over the past few years, Siew said he now realizes that experience must be coupled with new world trends to iron out visionary approaches, and this is exactly what he and his KMT running mate, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), are keen to pursue for Taiwan.
Stating that bickering was not his election style, Siew said he hopes to win the public's endorsement with his ideals and philosophy.
Ma announced that Siew, a veteran technocrat familiar with Taiwan's economic affairs, would be his running mate last month.
Taiwanese scientists have engineered plants that can capture about 50 percent more carbon dioxide and produce more than twice as many seeds as unmodified plants, a breakthrough they hope could one day help mitigate global warming and grow more food staples such as rice. If applied to major food crops, the new system could cut carbon emissions and raise yields “without additional equipment or labor costs,” Academia Sinica researcher and lead author the study Lu Kuan-jen (呂冠箴) said. Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) said that as humans emit 9.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide compared with the 220 billion tonnes absorbed
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
China’s plan to deploy a new hypersonic ballistic missile at a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) base near Taiwan likely targets US airbases and ships in the western Pacific, but it would also present new threats to Taiwan, defense experts said. The New York Times — citing a US Department of Defense report from last year on China’s military power — on Monday reported in an article titled “The missiles threatening Taiwan” that China has stockpiled 3,500 missiles, 1.5 times more than four years earlier. Although it is unclear how many of those missiles were targeting Taiwan, the newspaper reported
RSS