China's "Anti-Secession" Law en-acted in 2005 unquestionably destroyed the mechanisms for improving cross-strait relations Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said yesterday.
Two communiques signed between Beijing and two pan-blue leaders later that year further im-peded Taiwan's struggle for independence, he said.
The"Anti-Secession" Law, passed in China on March 14, 2005, authorized the Chinese military to take Taiwan via "non-peaceful" means if Taiwan makes moves towards de jure independence.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Chen yesterday blasted the law, along with the two communiques signed by former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (
The two communiques, namely the agreements signed between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jin-tao (胡錦濤) in April 2005 and another signed between Hu and Soong later that year, all carried strong pro-unification undertones that gave a thumbs-up to the so called "one-China" principle, Chen said.
"Although the KMT, being the opposition party at the time, had no legal authority to sign any agreements on behalf of the government, the passage of the law and the signing of the communiques has since become the trammel of Taiwan's fate," Chen said.
He condemned the communiques as appendages to the "Anti-Secession" Law that give Beijing more ground to strangle Taiwan's standing in internationally.
The communiques not only failed to recognize "one-China, two interpretations," they also function like a dummy company to help China "smuggle" in its "one-China" principle that would eventually sell out Taiwan's sovereignty, he said.
For example, he said, after signing the communiques, Hu has on numerous occasions cited them as justification to claim Taiwan as part of the "motherland."
Chen also chastised Beijing's "two-faced approach" of giving Taiwanese businessmen economic sweeteners while increasing the number of missiles pointing at Taiwan.
MAC Vice-chairman Liu Teh-hsun (劉德勳) pointed out Article five of the law -- often overlooked by critics -- which stipulates that Taiwan would only be allowed to exist under a "high degree of autonomy after reunification."
"The vision of the future should be better than the current reality. How is a `high-degree of autonomy' a better offer than what Taiwan has right now?" he said, adding that if China was sincere, it should offer Taiwan something lucrative enough for it to be willing to change its status.
Meanwhile, in related news, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) warned in an interview published yesterday that China would never stop intimidating and harassing Taiwan regardless of who wins the presidential election next weekend.
Chen said China would have already "taken" Taiwan if he had not upheld its sovereignty during the past eight years.
"You think that when a certain person assumes power, a certain party comes into power, China will change its ambition, intention and preparations to annex Taiwan?" Chen told the Financial Times.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday vowed to protest at the EVA Air Marathon on Sunday next week should EVA Airway Corp’s management continue to ignore the union’s petition to change rules on employees’ leave of absence system, after a flight attendant reportedly died after working on a long-haul flight while ill. The case has generated public discussion over whether taking personal or sick leave should affect a worker’s performance review. Several union members yesterday protested at the Legislative Yuan, holding white flowers and placards, while shouting: “Life is priceless; requesting leave is not a crime.” “The union is scheduled to meet with
‘UNITED FRONT’ RHETORIC: China’s TAO also plans to hold weekly, instead of biweekly, news conferences because it wants to control the cross-strait discourse, an expert said China’s plan to expand its single-entry visa-on-arrival service to Taiwanese would be of limited interest to Taiwanese and is a feeble attempt by Chinese administrators to demonstrate that they are doing something, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said the program aims to facilitate travel to China for Taiwanese compatriots, regardless of whether they are arriving via direct flights or are entering mainland China through Hong Kong, Macau or other countries, and they would be able to apply for a single-entry visa-on-arrival at all eligible entry points in China. The policy aims
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms. “We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said. The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said. Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22
RSS