The three candidates vying to become the next president of the US have all sent their congratulations to Ma Ying-jeou (
Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, sent the most detailed statement, dealing with a long list of issues facing Taiwan as it contends with a hostile China, while senators John McCain, the Republican candidate, and Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, sent shorter, less detailed messages.
"The people of Taiwan deserve our respect and admiration for this free and fair election, which is just the latest step in consolidating a democracy that has advanced over the last two decades," Obama said.
"March 22nd was a good day for the people of Taiwan, for the forces of democracy around the world, and for peace and stability in the western Pacific. I will do all that I can to support Taiwan's democracy in the years ahead," he said.
MESSAGE TO CHINA
"I hope the People's Republic of China responds to this election in a positive, constructive, and forward-leaning way. It is important for Beijing to demonstrate to the people of Taiwan that the practical and non-confrontational approach that President-elect Ma promises to take toward the Mainland will be met with good faith and progress," Obama said.
"The PRC should reduce the military threat to Taiwan by drawing back the missiles it has deployed in southeast China and by other security confidence-building measures. And on issues such as Taiwan's observer status in the World Health Organization, where the health of all Chinese people is at stake, it should allow Taiwan greater international space," he said.
Turning to the US' role in the Taiwan issue, Obama said the US "should respond to Ma Ying-jeou's election by rebuilding a relationship of trust and support for Taiwan's democracy. The US should reopen blocked channels of communication with Taiwan officials. We should continue to provide the arms necessary for Taiwan to deter possible aggression. And we should encourage both Taipei and Beijing to build commercial, cultural, and other ties, laying the groundwork for a closer relationship and ultimately movement toward resolution of their differences."
Obama also said the US should maintain its "one China" policy, adherence to the three US-PRC Joint Communiques concerning Taiwan and observance of the Taiwan Relations Act.
MCCAIN'S STATEMENT
McCain, one of the leading supporters of Taiwan in the Senate, said "once again we are witnessing the peaceful transfer of political power from one government to another based on ballots in an election that was free and fair."
"The vigorous campaigning of Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT [Chinese Nationalist Party] and the DPP's [Democratic Progressive Party's] Frank Hsieh are testimony to the press freedoms, democratic process and the rule of law that the Taiwanese people have worked so hard to build," he said.
"Taiwan's election is a fine example for the region," McCain said.
Also, in an appearance on Wednesday before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, McCain said: "It's pretty clear that the people of Taiwan, the voters, have opted for closer relations with China and many have, to some degree, defused what might have been a bit of a crisis between Taiwan and the mainland [sic]."
"I respect that and frankly agree with it. But I most of all respect a very democratic decision made by the people of Taiwan," McCain said.
Clinton, in a statement on Tuesday, said that Taiwan's democratic achievements "have earned them the admiration of the entire international community."
"The friendship between the people of Taiwan and the United States has remained deep as democracy on Taiwan has strengthened," she said.
"I hope that under President Ma's capable leadership, Taiwan's political institutions will thrive, and that ways can be found to appropriately expand Taiwan's contributions to the international community," she said.
Clinton also expressed the hope that "cross-Strait dialogue will be possible, and will contribute significantly to a reduction of tensions in the Taiwan Straits [sic] and East Asia."
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716