President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen was referring to a statement released by Ma's campaign office on Sept. 15 that said: "We hope the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] will not collude with China in attacking the Republic of China ... The Republic of China and Taiwan are inseparable. Taiwan is the Republic of China, harming the Republic of China means harming Taiwan."
Ma on Wednesday went on to say that the Presidential Office did not decorate the building or put up placards displaying the national title for this year's Double Ten National Day celebrations, calling the move similar to China's refusal to recognize the ROC.
Ma added that the administration's behavior showed that the DPP was singing Beijing's tune and had teamed up with Chinese authorities to attack the ROC.
Dismissing Ma's remarks yesterday, Chen said it was the CCP that eliminated the ROC -- not the DPP.
"Please don't forget that on March 13, 1950, former president Chiang Kai-shek (
Chen said the name ROC can no longer be used in China, the UN, APEC, the WTO and the WHO.
While Ma has claimed that Taiwan is the ROC, Chen said he would like to know whether Ma refuses to accept that the ROC is Taiwan because he still fantasizes about an ROC that includes China and Outer Mongolia.
"You have been deceiving the Taiwanese people for decades, are you going to continue doing it?" he asked, urging Ma to define the ROC and its territorial boundaries and clarify whether it is the same as the ROC that co-founded the UN in 1945.
As Taiwan was a Japanese colony when the ROC was founded, it was not included in the ROC Constitution, Chen said.
Taiwan's existence allowed Chiang to use it as a base for the ROC, Chen said, adding that what is done is done but the public must know the truth.
"Taiwan is Taiwan. That is the truth and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," he said. "Don't fool us anymore. Decades of deception are enough."
At a separate setting yesterday, Ma condemned Chen for trampling on the national title.
"I can't find any president in the world who looks down on his own nation's title. He has focused his efforts on abusing the national title instead of improving the economy. I don't know what he is doing," Ma said when approached for comments in Taipei.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS