President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) diplomatic tactics have all been correct, but the results have been unfavorable, leading to Chinese aircraft and naval vessels carrying out military operations around Taiwan, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
Since giving an interview last week, Ko has been reiterating his opinions that Tsai’s diplomatic strategy of “befriending the US and confronting China” is not appropriate for Taiwan; that the nation should befriend the US and be friendly to China; and that the president should try to avoid war.
He on Tuesday said that Taiwan has not been provoking China, but rather it is only Tsai who has, in response to the president’s remark that “Taiwan has never been the provocateur.”
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
“Internationally, no one has called me a troublemaker or provocateur,” Tsai said in a radio interview.
Being a contributor to peace does not mean holding back when the nation’s dignity and sovereignty have been infringed upon, she said, adding that every word she has uttered was intended to express the Taiwanese public’s will, protect their dignity and uphold the nation’s sovereignty.
Ko yesterday said that his former job as a surgeon has led him to favor consequentialism, so everyone can tell that relations across the Taiwan Strait have become more tense than before.
Citing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) speech on Taiwan policy in January as an example, Ko said that the Tsai administration had accurately predicted the gist of the speech, prepared a full response beforehand and immediately hit back.
However, while the response contributed to Tsai’s approval rating, “when facing that kind of totalitarian state — especially the boss of the totalitarian state — when you smack it, it has no choice but to dispatch military aircraft and naval vessels to circle Taiwan,” Ko said.
“Against the backdrop of the US-China trade dispute, Taiwan has been unconsciously pushed toward the danger of conflict,” he said, adding that he also faced great pressure when Taipei hosted the 2017 Summer Universiade, but Taiwan showed great solidarity throughout the event.
People should not have to doubt the importance of protecting the nation’s sovereignty, he said.
“Taiwan has embarked on the road of democracy with no return, so it could never adopt a political system like that of Singapore or some Southeast Asian countries,” Ko said, adding that he has insisted on holding the annual Taipei-Shanghai forums because he believes friendliness and having exchanges could bring about mutual understanding.
“We have to clearly see the international situation and strive to maximize our opportunities,” he added.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition