President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday reiterated her stance on the issue of sovereignty over the South China Sea, saying that she declined to send an envoy to join President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) visit to Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) out of respect for the constitutional system, in response to criticism from the president.
Immediately after his return from the one-day trip to the island on Thursday, Ma panned Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) over his remarks that the president should not take a trip to such a sensitive area in such a sensitive time, saying that the DPP is holding him back while he tried to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty over the island, adding that he was surprised that the DPP would not send an envoy.
“We have said several times that the DPP decided not to send anyone on the trip due to the constitutional system, because Ma is still the president and we respect any decision that he makes as president,” Tsai said after journalists asked her for a comment. “We would like to remind the president that he should face serious issues with a serious attitude; the way he commented on the issue is very inappropriate.”
Tsai said that she has not changed her stance on the South China Sea issue that Taiwan has sovereignty over the region, adding that the right to innocent passage whether with planes or ships should be protected.
“The disputes among claimants should be resolved through international laws and conventions,” Tsai said. “Most importantly, the disputes should be solved through peaceful means and all countries in the region, including Taiwan, have a shared responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability.”
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
RSS