Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
"The Constitution states that the country's title is the Republic of China (ROC). I think it is inappropriate to say that he is running for the presidency of the Republic of Taiwan," Ma said yesterday morning while on a visit to Kaohsiung.
During a visit to Changhua on Tuesday, Hsieh told his supporters that he is running for the presidency of the Republic of Taiwan.
"I am running for the presidency of the ROC, and it's acceptable that some foreign press say we are running for the presidency of Taiwan. But it's definitely not the Republic of Taiwan," Ma said.
KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) also slammed Hsieh's remarks, urging him to withdraw from the presidential race, as the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選罷法) states that presidential elections choose the president of the ROC, rather than the nation of Taiwan.
"Hsieh can't run for the presidency of a nation that doesn't exist. He should withdraw from the election, form the nation of Taiwan and then run for its presidency," Wu said.
In response, Hsieh yesterday said although the Constitution stipulates that the nation's title is ROC, the fact that Taiwan is a country does not contradict the title.
"People call [the nation] by many different names. So I was emphasizing the fact that Taiwan is a country. There is no need to argue whether we are running for the presidency of Taiwan or the Republic of Taiwan," Hsieh said.
"We have to recognize ourselves as a nation first and then fight for what we want during negotiations with other countries," he said.
Hsieh also criticized Ma for previously saying that Taiwan is a "political entity" because such a comment has prevented Ma from arguing for Taiwan's sovereignty status with other nations.
Earlier yesterday, Hsieh's spokesman Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) urged Ma to specify whether he considers Taiwan an independent state or just part of China.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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