Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday blasted his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) counterpart Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) for criticizing his cross-strait common market policy.
"The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei has repeatedly accused our government of failing to normalize our economic relations with China," Ma said in Taichung yesterday, adding that the common market policy was the first step in this direction.
Ma was approached by reporters for comment on Hsieh's criticism of the cross-strait common market concept being advocated by Ma and his running mate, Vincent Siew (
In a speech at a rally in New York with Taiwanese expatriates from the greater New York area on Saturday, Hsieh called Ma's idea of establishing a common market between Taiwan and China "ridiculously unrealistic."
Hsieh said he firmly opposed Ma's cross-strait common market mechanism, adding that if it were to be implemented, human traffickers could more easily smuggle Chinese women, who are frequently smuggled into Taiwan largely to work in the sex trade, into the country.
Hsieh added that the people of Taiwan and the government would face serious problems if workers from China were introduced into the country under a common market system.
Ma said yesterday that "the US has time and again expressed the hope that Taiwan could improve its relations with China. What we propose is the first step toward improving these relations. This policy also conforms with the US' interests."
"The US has said that we need to improve our relations with China if we would like to sign a free trade agreement with the US," he added. "It would be difficult for Mr Hsieh to be the next president if he does not understand this."
Ma also accused the DPP government of "damaging trust between Taipei and Washington."
"The US has been unable to put up with Taiwan. This has all been the DPP's fault," he said.
"The US has reminded or warned President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) 23 times not to adopt a radical approach. This has resulted in a new low in the mutual trust [between the US and Taiwan]," Ma said.
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
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
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard