The Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan demanded yesterday that Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) participate in a public debate on the government’s plan to sign a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) with China.
More than 40 alliance members made the call during a demonstration in front of the foundation’s Taipei headquarters to protest against the proposed CECA and to urge the government to hold a referendum on the issue.
Alliance representative Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴) said that if Taiwan signs a CECA under the “one China” principle, the agreement would symbolize Taiwan’s surrender to China.
PHOTO: CNA
“The signing of such an agreement will be an act of betrayal of the Taiwanese people,” he said, adding that the CECA would compromise Taiwan’s sovereignty and jeopardize its economic and political interests.
The public should decide by national referendum whether or not the government should sign a CECA with China, he said.
“The Straits Exchange Foundation and other government agencies have no right to make that decision without public consensus,” Tsai said. “If Chiang has the determination and courage to sign a CECA with China, then he should have the courage to participate in a public debate on the issue.”
A foundation official came out of the building to accept a written petition from the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢), director of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Policy Research Committee, held a press conference yesterday to question the government’s apparent rush to sign an economic pact with China.
“We do not know why the government is rushing a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement with China. Where is the pressure coming from? Does this mean that the KMT [Chinese Nationalist Party] government has reached an agreement with China on such an agreement, and wanted to make it happen quickly?” he said.
The DPP insists Taiwan should sign a free-trade agreement (FTA) with major economies, not an economic cooperation pact with China, Chuang said.
A referendum is needed before the KMT government negotiates with China on the agreement, he said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday that government agencies had agreed to refer to the proposed pact only by its full Chinese name, instead of the acronym CECA to avoid misunderstandings over the English name of the proposed deal.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, said that when its officials speak to foreign dignitaries about the proposed agreement, they will use the agreement’s full English name, or whatever language is spoken by the dignitaries.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
RSS