Cross-strait peace will be built on negotiations between Taipei and Beijing on an equal footing, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) said yesterday.
Wang's remarks came as South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met for a second day yesterday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
The Korean summit is the second meeting between the heads of state of the two Koreas since the Korean Peninsula was divided 60 years ago.
Wang said the meeting was significant in that the two Koreas are engaging in talks on an equal footing based on mutual respect.
He lamented that China has yet to view Taiwan as a sovereign, independent state, saying that cross-strait peace should be built on mutual respect so that negotiations between the two sides based on an equal footing will be possible.
Wang noted that both Koreas are members of the UN, while Beijing has continued to obstruct Taiwan's bid to join the world body.
He urged China to "take a cue" from the Roh-Kim meeting, acknowledge that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country and help Taiwan join the UN.
China should also remove the 900 missiles deployed along its southeastern coast to end the military threat against Taiwan and contribute to peace in Asia and the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (
He urged Ma to learn from the Korean summit, saying that talks on direct cross-strait transportation links should be conducted on an equal footing.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their