An advocacy group focusing on opposition to the so-called “one China” principle and the erosion of Taiwan’s sovereignty under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration is set to be established on Monday, the group’s founding members told a press conference yesterday.
The Anti-One China Principle Union is a non-partisan group cofounded by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Mark Chen (陳唐山), Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) and former DPP lawmaker Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮).
Acknowledgement of the “one China” principle — the core strategy of China’s Taiwan policy — could jeopardize Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy, freedom and human rights, they said.
“However, the Ma administration’s pro-Beijing stance and the DPP’s failure to monitor the administration and its tendency to move to a more China-friendly position have aroused concern over the gradual erosion of sovereignty,” Chen said.
Chai will serve as the president of the union, with Chen and Hsu as vice presidents, Hsu said, adding that other notable members include former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) and former Examination Yuan president Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文). Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former presidential adviser Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) are to serve as consultants.
Chai and Chen criticized former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) for his “pro-Beijing position.”
Responding to the criticism yesterday afternoon in a radio interview with Cheng Hong-yi (鄭弘儀), Hsieh denied that he “had betrayed Taiwan’s independence movement” and said that “closer engagement with China did not mean surrender.”
Hsieh, who advocates a moderate China policy with his initiative of “constitutions with different interpretations,” described himself as a “pragmatic idealist” and very different from the “hardliners” of the pro-independence wing, such as Chai and Chen.
“They insist on their belief, while I’m an idealist who focuses on reality. We should work together to strive for Taiwan’s dignity,” Hsieh said.
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
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
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
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS