Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday that if Beijing can overcome its reluctance to address him by his official title, he will not rule out a cross-strait visit.
Wang made the remarks during an interview with a local radio station in which he was asked if he could open a proposed Taiwan representative office in China and exchange visits with Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), head of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China’s State Council.
If there is an appropriate way to promote such visits, Wang said, “we would welcome it,” but he added that it is very important that each official be addressed by their formal titles.
“We have no problem addressing them by their official titles, although they still have reservations about extending the same courtesy to our ministerial-level officials,” Wang said.
He said China should recognize that he is an appointed official of the Republic of China government and should be addressed accordingly.
“This is not a personal issue. If there is a formal meeting I am representing Taiwan,” Wang said.
On whether President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could take part in next year’s informal leadership meeting of the APEC forum in China, Wang said that although some academics in China have been discussing the issue, it is too early to talk about it.
Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) will travel to Shanghai on Tuesday for a forum to discuss cross-strait business, education, sports and media exchanges.
Hau will meet with Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (楊雄) on Thursday and sign memorandums on district cooperation, libraries and citizen hotlines at the forum’s opening ceremony. Former Taipei EasyCard Corporation chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) and Terry Guo (郭台銘), founder and chairman of Hon Hai Group, will also join the delegation.
Lien’s participation in the forum sparked speculation about his bid for the Taipei mayoral election next year, as he has been a popular choice for the post. Hau yesterday denied trying to boost Lien’s momentum by inviting him to the forum, and said Lien would attend in his capacity as deputy convener of Taipei City’s Economic Development Commission.
“He will attend a forum on business opportunities for industries across the Taiwan Strait, and share his experience as a finance expert,” he said in announcing the visit.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
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