The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday rejected speculation that the party would draw up a new resolution on Taiwan’s status.
DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said the Resolution on Taiwan’s Future (台灣前途決議文) was the bottom line and there was no need to write a new resolution to replace it.
The resolution states that Taiwan is an independent and sovereign country and that change to the “status quo” of independence should require the approval of the people of Taiwan in a national referendum. Taiwan does not belong to the People’s Republic of China, the resolution says, rejecting the “one China” principle and “one country, two systems” model promoted by China.
Tsai made the remarks in response to questions about a report published in the Chinese-language United Evening Express yesterday. The report claimed the DPP was planning to draft a resolution on the nation’s sovereignty and future development to be debated at the party’s National Congress on July 20.
The report said the Party Reform Task Force formed a five-person team to author the draft. The new resolution would emphasize the importance of Taiwan’s sovereignty and undertake to differentiate the DPP from the pro-unification Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the report said.
DPP Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) yesterday dismissed the report as “groundless.”
Individual members of the task force may have had the idea of proposing a new resolution, but the party has no plan to do so, Cheng said.
Cheng said the newspaper had confused the facts, and the five-person team was indeed tasked with looking into revising the party platform. The task force, which meets twice a week, will look at three main issues: revising the party platform, internal party discipline and the party’s evaluation and nomination processes, Cheng said. The task force will propose a reform package on June 18 for debate at the National Congress.
The task force met yesterday. It’s work is ongoing and it has not reached its conclusions yet, Cheng said, adding that the group would meet again tomorrow.
Former DPP legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), a member of the task force, filed a motion yesterday to restore the party’s Department of Chinese Affairs, which was integrated with the Department of International Affairs. The party must have a separate unit to examine cross-strait issues as formal cross-strait talks are set to begin next Wednesday, he said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19