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.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
ENHANCING EFFICIENCY: The apron can accommodate 16 airplanes overnight at Taoyuan airport while work on the third runway continues, the transport minister said A new temporary overnight parking apron at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is to start operating on Friday next week to boost operational efficiency while the third runway is being constructed, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The apron — one of the crucial projects in the construction of the third runway — can accommodate 16 aircraft overnight at the nation’s largest international airport, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told reporters while inspecting the new facility yesterday morning. Aside from providing the airport operator with greater flexibility in aircraft parking during the third runway construction,
American climber Alex Honnold is to attempt a free climb of Taipei 101 today at 9am, with traffic closures around the skyscraper. To accommodate the climb attempt and filming, the Taipei Department of Transportation said traffic controls would be enforced around the Taipei 101 area. If weather conditions delay the climb, the restrictions would be pushed back to tomorrow. Traffic controls would be in place today from 7am to 11am around the Taipei 101 area, the department said. Songzhi Road would be fully closed in both directions between Songlian Road and Xinyi Road Sec 5, it said, adding that bidirectional traffic controls would
RSS