Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice presidential candidate Vincent Siew (
"I used the term `one China market' to explain the idea of a cross-strait common market. My policy concerned economic issues, but the rival camp has interpreted it from a political perspective," Siew told a press conference yesterday at campaign headquarters.
Siew made the remarks in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival Frank Hsieh's (
Siew said he mentioned a "one China market" in a speech at Tamkang University in December 2005 while explaining his "cross-strait common market" or "greater China market" vision.
Siew said that his policy would prevent Taiwan from being marginalized economically by integrating the domestic economic market with China's.
"China is the reason behind Taiwan's marginalization in the international economic market. The cross-strait common market would maximize opportunities and minimize the threat," he said.
Siew used the term "one China market" during an interview with a Hong Kong magazine in 2005.
Siew said his "cross-strait common market" would involve cross-strait economic negotiations on equal terms and seek to expand the nation's economy by gradually integrating it with China's.
"My proposal would be an excellent remedy for the country's economy, but the DPP has portrayed it as a poison," he said.
Siew said the success of the EU had inspired him to draw up his policy to push for peaceful cross-strait relations through economic ties.
Siew said President Chen Shui-bian (
Siew said that if elected, he would not allow poor-quality products and agricultural products from China into the domestic market, nor open the labor market to Chinese workers.
Siew said he had promoted his vision of a "cross-strait common market" for more than seven years and would not change the name of his policy in response to controversy.
At a separate setting yesterday, the DPP legislative caucus blasted Siew's "one China market," saying that it would only strengthen China.
"They [China] have never stopped treating us like an enemy. What Ma and Siew are promoting seems to be `feeding the tiger meat,'" DPP legislative caucus whip William Lai (
Lai also criticized the comparison between the EU and the situation between Taiwan and China.
"Within the EU there are no enemies and therefore it is totally different from the relationship between Taiwan and China," Lai said.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Wang Sing-nan (
"If he really meant it, he would withdraw all the missiles aimed at Taiwan," Wang said.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all