China should take the initiative in extending an olive branch to Taiwan by reducing its military threat and supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the international community, a Taiwanese official involved in China policy issues said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said China should demonstrate goodwill now that China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) has said repeatedly during his visit to Taiwan that he was here to listen to the voices of the people.
The official was responding to reports that Zhang, at a seminar with academics on Thursday night, said issues such as the Republic of China’s status and China’s military threat remain unresolved because the nation is reluctant to hold political talks.
Taiwan has already made it clear that because there is still no consensus within the nation on holding political talks with China, they are not a high priority for the government at present, the official said.
Taiwanese would not accept China passing off its responsibility on these issues, the official said.
China’s military aggression toward and suppression of Taiwan in the international community do not need political consultation to be resolved because those issues can be resolved unilaterally by Beijing, the official said.
Separately yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Zhang appeared friendly this week, but further observation is needed to see if it leads to any change in Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan.
Tsai was commenting on remarks by Zhang on Friday about Beijing respecting Taiwan’s choice of social system and values and that it would like to share its economic achievements with Taiwan, rather than swallow up its economy.
The DPP chairperson said of Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu’s (陳菊) meeting with Zhang: “To a certain extent, the meeting represents the DPP’s attitude toward cross-strait exchanges.”
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS