The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused an academic affiliated with a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) think tank of making false accusations over DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy proposal on the South China Sea.
In a letter to the editor published in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday, Edward Chen (陳一新), a professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of the Americas, said he is worried Tsai might give up the Republic of China’s claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, breaking the cross-strait “status quo.”
Chen said in the letter that he is worried because Tsai said that she would handle the South China Sea issue according to international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Chen said Tsai’s “proactive peace diplomacy” policy proposal is similar to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “proactive pacifism,” adding that Tsai might look to the US for her foreign policy, causing concern that Tsai may break the cross-strait “status quo” on the South China Sea.
DPP spokesperson Juan Chao-hsiung (阮昭雄) yesterday slammed Chen over the article, saying it contained false accusations.
“It’s a rather irresponsible act for Chen, an academic and a professor, to make baseless and biased remarks affiliated with certain political ideology,” Juan told a press conference. “Chen is yet to apologize for his false remarks last time and is already making new ones.”
“He is obviously ignoring academic ethics and intentionally trying to misguide public opinion; such an act would only make people cast doubt on his academic and professional judgements,” Juan added.
Juan said the DPP has explained its stance on the South China Sea clearly, that is, the DPP will not give up Taiwan’s sovereignty claim, but would handle the controversial parts according to international law, namely the UNCLOS, so that the controversies may be solved peacefully under an international mechanism.
“This is an important basis on which the surrounding countries may reach a consensus,” Juan said. “Tsai also insists that [anyone’s] right to sail freely on the high seas should be protected; this is the DPP’s stance on the issue.”
Juan urged Chen to show more self-respect and refrain from becoming a propaganda agent for the KMT.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday voiced dissatisfaction with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), whose latest meeting, concluded earlier the same day, appeared not to address the country’s application. In a statement, MOFA said the CPTPP commission had "once again failed to fairly process Taiwan’s application," attributing the inaction to the bloc’s "succumbing to political pressure," without elaborating. Taiwan submitted its CPTPP application under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" on Sept. 22, 2021 -- less than a week after China
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Monday announced light shows and themed traffic lights to welcome fans of South Korean pop group Twice to the port city. The group is to play Kaohsiung on Saturday as part of its “This Is For” world tour. It would be the group’s first performance in Taiwan since its debut 10 years ago. The all-female group consists of five South Koreans, three Japanese and Tainan’s Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜), the first Taiwan-born and raised member of a South Korean girl group. To promote the group’s arrival, the city has been holding a series of events, including a pop-up
A home-style restaurant opened by a Taiwanese woman in Quezon City in Metro Manila has been featured in the first-ever Michelin Guide honoring exceptional restaurants in the Philippines. The restaurant, Fong Wei Wu (豐味屋), was one of 74 eateries to receive a “Michelin Selected” honor in the guide, while one restaurant received two Michelin stars, eight received one star and 25 were awarded a “Bib Gourmand.” The guide, which was limited to restaurants in Metro Manila and Cebu, was published on Oct. 30. In an interview, Feng Wei Wu’s owner and chef, Linda, said that as a restaurateur in her 60s, receiving an
RSS