President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said on World Freedom Day yesterday that his administration hopes that dialogue between Taiwan and China can extend beyond economic and trade issues, to encompass human rights and the rule of law.
Taiwan’s ultimate goal is to maintain peace in East Asia and allow people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to pursue the values of freedom and democracy, Ma said at a ceremony in Taipei marking 2013 World Freedom Day.
Ma said that since he took office in 2008, dialogue between Taiwan and China has focused on trade and cultural issues, but he expressed hope that the issues of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law could be taken up in the near future.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“Although democracy is an imported system, we have fully proved over the past 60 years that this foreign system can actually be cultivated in the soil of Chinese culture,” he said, adding that the Republic of China (ROC) has become a fully democratic country.
A sign of that, Ma said, is that Taiwan was again rated a free country in an annual report compiled by Freedom House, a Washington-based human rights advocacy group. Retaining its previous year’s rankings, Taiwan received a rating of “one” for political rights and a “two” for civil liberties, the group said in a press statement last week.
In the rankings, one represents the highest level of freedom and seven the least degree of freedom.
Ma also stressed that as a member of the international community, the ROC is determined to be a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural ties, a creator of new technologies and business opportunities, and a standard-bearer at the leading edge of Chinese culture.
“Without peace, freedom and democracy can hardly be achieved,” Ma said, adding that Taiwan and China have signed 18 agreements over the past five years, an indication of warming ties.
“I am not saying I’m happy with the ‘status quo,’ but at least both sides of the Taiwan Strait have found a peaceful solution to conflicts,” Ma said.
More than 400 guests from about 60 countries and territories attended the World Freedom Day celebrations, as well as the annual general conference of the World League for Freedom and Democracy and the Asian Pacific League for Freedom and Democracy.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he
RSS