Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday announced a “new southward policy” to strengthen relations with Southeast Asian countries and India.
Tsai said ASEAN and India are soon to become major economies in the world and that “it is a natural choice for us to step up overall relations with ASEAN and India” as Taiwan seeks to diversify its trade.
“In the future, we will establish a task force to actively execute the goals of the policy,” Tsai said at a cocktail party for foreign envoys in Taiwan celebrating the 29th anniversary of the founding of the DPP.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The nation’s “go south policy” in the past was designed to encourage Taiwanese enterprises to increase investment in Southeast Asian countries, Tsai said, adding that trade and investment will only be a part of the cooperation under her southward policy.
A diversified and multifaceted partnership is also to be established for civilian exchanges, as well as cultural and educational links, she said.
On the DPP’s foreign policy, Tsai said that “among us [the attendees at the party], there might be some countries whose national interests are not quite the same, and whose views on some issues might be different, but I believe all nations are striving for the same goals of peace, stability and prosperity.”
“We believe that there is a need to establish a domestic legal mechanism” to let Taiwan take part in the international community’s assistance for refugees, she said, adding that the DPP will also make efforts to ease regional conflicts, citing the tension in the South China Sea as an example.
More than 140 diplomatic personnel from 64 countries attended the party, including American Institute in Taiwan Director Kin Moy, Japan’s Interchange Association Representative Mikio Numata and Singapore Trade Office in Taipei Representative Wong Wie Kuen (黃偉權).
In response to Tsai’s policy announcement, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) said that her staff are also drafting a foreign policy platform and that she is “of course” in favor of a policy that “does not put all of our eggs in one basket,” nor will she ignore nascent economic opportunities in ASEAN member states.
However, she added that she opposes any “single-minded” move to the south that “abandons the giant Chinese market to the west.”
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-hsuan
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
RSS