Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) yesterday responded to a recent statement about cross-strait relations attributed to Czech President Milos Zeman when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing on Monday.
A report from Beijing published by the Czech News Agency said Zeman reassured Xi that Prague recognized the territorial integrity of China, including Taiwan and Tibet, and would not interfere in the nation’s internal affairs.
Zeman added that he believed that Taiwan would soon be peacefully united with continental China, the news report said.
In response to reporters’ question on the sidelines of a conference in Taipei, Lin said the ministry would instruct the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague to get more information about what led Zeman to make the statement.
Lin said Zeman’s understanding of the situation was inaccurate.
“Taiwan and China do not fall under the jurisdiction of each other,” Lin said. “As things stand, we do not see the possibility of a peaceful ‘unification’ [of Taiwan and China]. What [Zeman] said does not match the current situation.”
According to China’s Xinhua news agency, China and the Czech Republic signed a series of deals from a range of arenas, including civil nuclear energy, finance, medical treatment and public health, on the sidelines of the meeting between Xi and Zeman.
Zeman’s visit marked the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
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