Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday met with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in Beijing at the annual forum between the KMT and Chinese Communist Party (CCP), during which he proposed that cross-strait matters be tackled under the banner of “one country, two areas (一國兩區).”
Both Wu and Hu stressed the importance of continued cross-strait development under the “one China” principle. Wu said the two sides had different interpretations of “one China,” but both agreed to seek a consensus and put aside their disputes.
Wu said Taiwan’s current cross-trait policies are based on the Act Governing Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), which uses the concept of “one country, two areas” as its legal basis.
Photo: AFP
That the Mainland Affairs Council and not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of cross-strait policy indicates that “cross-strait relations are not undertaken on a nation-to-nation basis but rather a special relationship basis,” he added.
Wu urged China to be understanding with regards to Taiwanese efforts to expand its international space.
Wu, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, defended President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) efforts to promote cross-strait peace and said the two sides should cherish what he called “the most peaceful and stable period” in cross-strait development for 60 years.
The annual forum, a regular meeting was established by then-KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Hu in 2005 when Lien led an “ice-breaking” visit to Beijing.
When asked to comment about Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Lo Chih-cheng’s (羅致政) recent visit to China, Wu said the KMT welcomed the efforts of all parties to promote cross-strait exchange.
“The KMT welcomes members from other political parties to visit mainland China for cross-strait exchanges and strengthening mutual understanding. Such exchanges will help reduce differences and form a consensus within Taiwan,” he said.
In his capacity as an academic, Lo visited China’s Yunnan Province last week to attend a two-day academic forum on cross-strait relations after receiving permission from the DPP. The visit was seen as symbolic because Lo was the first DPP official to visit China since 2008.
Additional reporting by CNA
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
ENHANCING EFFICIENCY: The apron can accommodate 16 airplanes overnight at Taoyuan airport while work on the third runway continues, the transport minister said A new temporary overnight parking apron at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is to start operating on Friday next week to boost operational efficiency while the third runway is being constructed, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The apron — one of the crucial projects in the construction of the third runway — can accommodate 16 aircraft overnight at the nation’s largest international airport, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told reporters while inspecting the new facility yesterday morning. Aside from providing the airport operator with greater flexibility in aircraft parking during the third runway construction,
RSS