While the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) recent efforts to carry out exchanges with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are worthy of encouragement, “no positive improvement can be seen” in the transformation of the party’s cross-strait policies, a top Chinese official in charge of Taiwanese affairs said on Monday.
Taiwan Affairs Office Deputy Director Sun Yafu (孫亞夫) made the comments on the sidelines of a seminar on cross-strait relations held in Shenyang.
Sun also spoke about the possibility of a meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). He said that holding such a meeting would be a good thing, but that both sides have to work hard to create the conditions for it to occur.
Cheng Siwei (成思危), former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and an academic specializing in Taiwan affairs, said that China would continue to promote political dialogue between citizens on both sides of the Strait to boost mutual understanding and trust.
Such interactions would also create platforms and mechanisms for discussions on a wider range of political issues and attract more DPP members to participate, leading to more substantive results, Cheng said.
Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), head of the financial and economic law department at Asia University, and a DPP member familiar with China affairs, said that there is consensus among political parties in Taiwan on the need to maintain cross-strait peace .
However, since Taiwan is a diverse and democratic society, it is normal that there be different and opposing views on the development of cross-strait relations, he said, adding that the key is how to settle such differences.
Chiu said that Taiwan and China should shift their cross-strait policy from one of mutual non-recognition of sovereignty to mutual recognition of sovereignty.
The signing of 19 agreements related to customs cooperation, bilateral judicial assistance and economic and trade exchanges between the two sides is tantamount to mutual recognition of sovereignty across the Strait, he said.
Ma recently expressed his hopes of attending the APEC forum in his capacity as the head of an economic entity.
In response, Sun said that China is aware of Taiwan’s long-term aspirations, but arrangements have to be made by APEC based on conventional practices.
Typhoon Champi is forecast to turn northward earlier than previously expected, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of yesterday afternoon, was packing sustained winds of 198kph near its center, CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said. However, due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan’s Ishigaki Island, Cheng said. As Champi brushes
A sea warning for Typhoon Champi might be issued tonight, while the storm’s trajectory would determine whether a land warning is to be issued tomorrow night, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Champi was about 1,536km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), packing maximum sustained winds of 198kph, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 23kph and was expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours before weakening slightly as it approaches cooler waters east of Taiwan, Tseng said. Champi is expected to turn north tomorrow, with the angle of the
DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US if the contract is finalized, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard reportedly plan to acquire 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones. If the contract is awarded and finalized, it would make Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the US-based defense technology company Shield AI. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Hsiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones,
A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier group was being monitored after entering the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense said today, after Beijing yesterday criticized Taiwan for using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). A Chinese naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning (遼寧) yesterday sailed to the western Pacific for training, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the PLA Navy as saying. “The drill is part of the annual routine training plan aimed at testing and improving the troops’ combat readiness and enhancing their ability to
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