Peaceful cross-strait relations will allow the next generation to enjoy freedom, democracy and prosperity, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Outlining the goal of his administration in the New Year as “Holding on to universal values; facing global competition” in his weekly online speech published yesterday, Ma vowed to promote peace, human rights and humanity, as well as increase Taiwan’s international visibility by carrying out those universal values.
PEACE
“The value of peace is meaningful, especially after decades of cross-strait confrontations,” Ma said. “Creating peace will be our strategy, and peaceful cross-strait relations will lead Taiwan to another victory in the new wave of global competition as a small country.”
Ma said Taiwan has transformed itself from an agricultural society to an industrial nation and become a democratic country over the past 60 years. The display of such great power to the world despite the nation’s small population and territory was a major accomplishment, he said.
“Taiwan transformed itself from a troublemaker to a peacemaker, and we showed the world our great efforts in promoting peace across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
‘CLOSED DOOR’
Ma blamed the Democratic Progressive Party for limiting the nation’s possibilities with its “closed-door policy” over the past eight years, adding that Taiwan has been marginalized and this was why it was absent from ASEAN.
Ma said his administration’s efforts to push for peaceful cross-strait relations would open up new opportunities for Taiwan, including the joining of international organizations or signing of cooperation agreements with other countries.
“Smaller countries have limited resources, and we should create peace with flexible and open-minded thoughts,” he said.
Ma acknowledged that China remained a threat to Taiwan, but added that it also presented possibilities. The government will maximize the opportunities and minimize the threats to seek a better future for Taiwanese, he said.
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