Former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) said he opposed the appointment of former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) to head the party’s planned China Affairs Committee being mulled by DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).
To consolidate and integrate the party’s policies on China, Su is said to be planning to designate Hsieh as head of the reinstated committee.
“I am quite concerned with Hsieh’s stance on China. Hsieh’s proposal for a 'constitutional one China (憲法一中)' is contrary to the DPP’s platform on Taiwanese sovereignty,” he said. “What would the committee do? Would it have an advisory role, or have policy decisionmaking functions? This must be clearly delineated, because the DPP already has decisionmaking bodies in the Central Executive Committee and the Central Standing Committee.”
Former premier and former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun also questioned the move.
“We already have the Department of China Affairs, so why do we need a China Affairs Committee?” he asked.
In response, DPP spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said this was an ongoing matter.
“As of yet, we do not have a timetable on the starting date of the committee. We understand there are different opinions inside the party. The party executives will take time with due consideration on this matter. We will inform everyone when progress has been made,” Wang said.
A top DPP executive said Su had already decided to put Hsieh in charge of the committee. In response to media inquiries, Wang said no decision had been made.
According to an official from a pro-localization group, members of some pro-localization groups discussed the issue of the DPP’s plans to reinstate the committee, and a number of officials had reservations about the move.
Some, remembering Hsieh’s "one country, two cities (一國兩市)" initiative in 2000, were apprehensive about his stance on China, the official said, adding that they remain wary of Hsieh’s overall views on cross-strait relations, despite supporting his resistance to the so-called “1992 consensus” during his visit to China last week.
Hsieh returned earlier this week from a five-day visit to China to mixed reviews and criticism from the pan-green camp, after he became the most senior member of the DPP to meet with high-ranking Chinese officials.
Hsieh sought to set people’s minds at ease in a post on Web site Plurk yesterday.
“Freedom, democracy and human rights are the fruits of Taiwan’s democracy movement these past 30 years. Most of these core values are documented in the Constitution,” he wrote. “To me, aside from the difference of constitutional order between 'constitutions with different interpretations (憲法各表)' and ‘one China, with each side having its own interpretation (一中各表)' .... there are also differences in our emotional response to it.”
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
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