Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
Hsieh, who returned from his 10-day trip to the US yesterday morning, told a press conference that he and the US officials he met -- from the US State Department, Department of Defense, the office of US Vice President Dick Cheney and important aides to both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party -- "had engaged each other in the most honest and effective communication."
Hsieh also said he conveyed to the US officials Taiwan's urgent need to solidify its national consciousness and it's feeling of being isolated in the world.
Hsieh said that he communicated the idea that the referendum on applying for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" is a necessary step to improve the nation's security.
"But we are also willing to find co-existence between Taiwan's interests and the US' interests," he said.
"The US is not against Taiwan's pursuit of democracy and our desire to be masters of our own fate through referendums," Hsieh said.
"What the US is concerned about is whether we respect it as a friend," he said.
"We need to create a win-win situation between the US and Taiwan," he said.
Hsieh said he told the US officials that the DPP was not pushing the UN bid to change the "status quo" but because "Taiwan needs to gain representation in the world."
"Based on the UN's principles, it is very strange that the 23 million people in Taiwan are not represented in there," he said.
Hsieh said reasons for pushing the UN bid under the name "Taiwan" include the nation's many failed attempts to join the UN under the name "Republic of China," the fact that the People's Republic of China does not represent Taiwan and that the name "Taiwan" is better known around the world than "Republic of China."
"It is OK that they [the international community] call us `Chinese Taipei.' Of course we can also be called `Taiwan,'" he said.
Hsieh said many factors had contributed to the low mutual trust between the US and Taiwan over the past seven years, adding that Taiwan's delayed arms procurement was one of them.
Hsieh criticized Chinese Nationalist Party counterpart Ma Ying-jeou (
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan