A government proposal to establish free economic pilot zones is aimed at facilitating economic liberalization and consolidating the nation’s economic alliance with Japan to counter competition from China, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said in an interview with the BBC’s Chinese-language service.
People who think that the plan is aimed mainly at enhancing economic cooperation between Taiwan and China have “failed to recognize the strategic value” of the proposal, Jiang said in the interview on Monday, of which the transcript was released to the press yesterday.
Contrary to popular understanding, the proposal was drafted to promote a model in which businesses in Taiwan and Japan could cooperate with each other in the fields of finance and technology to compete with their Chinese peers on global markets, Jiang said.
During the interview, Jiang also pushed for a meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), saying it would be “beneficial to people on both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait.”
“We will make every effort to foster the meeting,” Jiang said.
Jiang said the government has tried to allay Chinese concern that Ma’s proposal to meet Xi on the sidelines of an APEC meeting is an attempt to use an international event to elevate Taiwan’s international profile.
“We have been trying to make the other side [China] understand that we have no intention of internationalizing the Taiwan issue or making a political statement by having the meeting take place at an APEC summit,” Jiang said.
With regard to the next step on the government’s roadmap for cross-strait development following an exchange of visits between Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) earlier this year, Jiang said that political issues are inevitable.
Issues related to the establishment of representative offices in Taiwan and China to institutionalize cross-strait negotiations and “meetings between top leaders of both sides” to strengthen the basis for peaceful development of cross-strait relations are political in nature, Jiang said.
“We have to face the issues sooner or later,” he said.
Asked about the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong and the appeal by hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents for direct election of the territory’s leader, Jiang said he was not in a position to comment on the issue in detail.
“The [administration in] Mainland China and Hong Kong handles the issue at a scheduled pace, but civil society expects them to adapt to meet their expectations. Like what we have experienced [in Taiwan], they should use their wisdom in facing the issue,” Jiang said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS