The government is calling on the public to pick up their pens to participate in a nationwide letter-writing campaign aimed at asking Taiwan's allies to help persuade China to dismantle its missiles along its southeast coast.
"To help ensure Taiwan's security as well as peace in this region, I hope that every one of us will take part in this global-oriented event, to covey to our friends abroad that China's missile threat is putting the lives and security of Taiwan's 23 million people in jeopardy," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新).
China has deployed approximately 400 missiles along its southeastern coast aimed at Taiwan, according to the ministry.
"We should let it be known to others the tense situation that Taiwan is in," Chien said.
Chien also noted friendly gestures that have recently been made by other nations in regard to the cross-strait situation.
On Sept. 5, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution entitled A strategic framework for enhanced partnerships, urging Beijing to dismantle all missiles deployed along its coast directed at Taiwan.
Aside from calling on China and Taiwan to resume dialogue, it also said that visits to Europe by high-level Taiwanese officials should not be limited to those traveling in a private capacity.
On Sept. 30th US President George W. Bush signed into law the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003, which officially recognizes Taiwan as "a mature democracy that fully respects human rights," and says US policy should be that "any resolution of the Taiwan Strait issue must be peaceful and include the assent of the people of Taiwan."
Chien also mentioned that earlier last month, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the US Council on Foreign Relations that he hopes China and Taiwan will find a way to resolve the cross-strait impasse in a peaceful manner through dialogue.
Ministry spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said yesterday the ministry hopes that through the "One letter per person" (一人一信) campaign the international community will put pressure on China.
"We encourage everyone to write letters to their friends abroad, or even to lawmakers in other countries, to convey the message to our friends around the world that Taiwan's existence is under China' threat," Chang told the Taipei Times.
According to Chang, in cooperation with international NGOs such as the International Junior Chamber and Lions Club International, the ministry will stage three promotional events to publicize the campaign.
The first will be on Oct. 26 at the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall starting at 4pm, which President Chen Shui-bian (
The date is chosen to coincide with Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (
The second will be in Taichung on Nov. 2 and the third on Nov. 9 in Kaohsiung.
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao (李佳豪) on Sunday won a silver medal at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England, a career best. Lee, 25, took silver in the final of the men’s singles against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) of China, who won 21-17, 21-19 in a tough match that lasted 51 minutes. After the match, the Taiwanese player, who ranks No. 22 in the world, said it felt unreal to be challenging an opponent of Shi’s caliber. “I had to be in peak form, and constantly switch my rhythm and tactics in order to score points effectively,” he said. Lee got
EMBRACING TAIWAN: US lawmakers have introduced an act aiming to replace the use of ‘Chinese Taipei’ with ‘Taiwan’ across all Washington’s federal agencies A group of US House of Representatives lawmakers has introduced legislation to replace the term “Chinese Taipei” with “Taiwan” across all federal agencies. US Representative Byron Donalds announced the introduction of the “America supports Taiwan act,” which would mandate federal agencies adopt “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei,” a news release on his page on the US House of Representatives’ Web site said. US representatives Mike Collins, Barry Moore and Tom Tiffany are cosponsors of the legislation, US political newspaper The Hill reported yesterday. “The legislation is a push to normalize the position of Taiwan as an autonomous country, although the official US
CHANGE OF TONE: G7 foreign ministers dropped past reassurances that there is no change in the position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including ‘one China’ policies G7 foreign ministers on Friday took a tough stance on China, stepping up their language on Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references from past statements, including to “one China” policies. A statement by ministers meeting in Canada mirrored last month’s Japan-US statement in condemning “coercion” toward Taiwan. Compared with a G7 foreign ministers’ statement in November last year, the statement added members’ concerns over China’s nuclear buildup, although it omitted references to their concerns about Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Also missing were references stressing the desire for “constructive and stable relations with China” and
RSS