Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang (
"It took a long time to build the ship of democracy in Taiwan. We cannot sail it to somebody else's harbor," he said.
Su said it took generations to make direct presidential elections a reality in Taiwan.
Kosovo has about 2 million people who are determined to be their own masters and build a new nation, while Taiwan has 23 million people and has a solid democratic foundation, he said.
Although the DPP suffered heavy losses in the legislative elections on Jan. 12, Su said the presidential election on March 22 would be the last line of defense for Taiwan's sovereignty.
The public must elect a candidate who is capable, loves Taiwan and is determined to protect the country's sovereignty, he said.
"We are calling on voters to help preserve democratic politics and the fundamental value of checks and balances," he said.
Su made the remarks while visiting a temple in Chiayi County yesterday morning.
Kosovo declared independence on Sunday in a historic bid for statehood in defiance of Serbian and Russian opposition.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday also congratulated Kosovo on its independence and said Taiwan looks forward to fostering ties with any country that upholds the universal values of democracy, freedom and peace.
In an official press release, MOFA touted Kosovars and said self-determination was a right recognized by the UN and that the people should be the masters of their nation's fate.
In no way should the independence of one nation be denied by another, it said.
Despite a multitude of barriers, the release said, the people of Kosovo have insisted on an ideal they believe in, which is to peacefully pursue independence without being threatened or scared away.
China reacted angrily on Monday to MOFA's statement, saying Taiwan had no right to offer an opinion on the subject.
"It is known to all that as a part of China, Taiwan has no right or eligibility to give any so-called `recognition' [to Kosovo]," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (
Additional reporting by AFP
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS