China's foreign minister lashed out yesterday at people he accused of having "ulterior motives" toward Taiwan, insisting in several minutes of pointed commentary that Beijing would brook no interference in the de facto independent nation's fate.
"No one will be allowed to use any means to split Taiwan from the rest of China," Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (
Li's vehement comments on Taiwan were nothing new for China's government, but the fact that he made them was extraordinary. The issue is continually framed by Beijing as an internal affair that has no relevance to the Foreign Ministry.
But, said Li, "There's a lot I want to say." And he did.
"The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. To maintain national unity is the Chinese nation's most important mission," he said. "The Taiwan question has been complicated by some people unnecessarily, out of ulterior motives."
He added: "It's really a simple question. There is one China. Taiwan and the mainland are part of that one China."
"China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. In the end, this is an internal affair of China," Li said. "The Chinese people love peace, but we will not allow any external force to interfere in our quest for reunification."
He also reiterated that Taiwan was "the biggest issue in Sino-US relations." The US has diplomatic relations with China but, under US law, must guarantee Taiwan's security.
Li's comments came two weeks before Taiwan holds a presidential election and a referendum on public opinion about the missiles China has pointed at the island.
Also yesterday, China announced an 11.6 percent hike in military spending, a high-profile expression of support for the People's Liberation Army days before the referendum. The added spending is needed to improve the "defensive combat readiness of the armed forces under high-tech conditions," Finance Minister Jin Renqing (
Jin didn't give a total for spending on the world's largest military but said outlays this year would increase by 21.8 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion), or 11.6 percent. Last year's announced military budget was 185.3 billion yuan (US$22.4 billion), an increase of 9.6 percent.
The official budget does not include weapons purchases, research and development and other costs. The Pentagon puts actual spending at up to four times the public figures.
China is struggling to make its poorly equipped 2.5 million troops more effective and to adapt to a high-tech world. It has given the politically influential military double-digit budget increases every year for 15 years -- except last year.
"We will focus on developing new and high technology weaponry and equipment, foster a new type of highly competent military personnel and promote modernization of our armed forces," Premier Wen Jiabao (
Wen acknowledged the challenge of balancing national defense needs with the requirements of economic development -- especially the need to help the nation's struggling farmers.
South Korea has adjusted its electronic arrival card system to no longer list Taiwan as a part of China, a move that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said would help facilitate exchanges between the two sides. South Korea previously listed “Taiwan” as “Taiwan (China)” in the drop-down menus of its online arrival card system, where people had to fill out where they came from and their next destination. The ministry had requested South Korea make a revision and said it would change South Korea’s name on Taiwan’s online immigration system from “Republic of Korea” to “Korea (South),” should the issue not be
The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee yesterday approved proposed amendments to the Amusement Tax Act (娛樂稅法) that would abolish taxes on films, cultural activities and competitive sporting events, retaining the fee only for dance halls and golf courses. The proposed changes would set the maximum tax rate for dance halls and golf courses at 50 and 20 percent respectively, with local governments authorized to suspend the levies. Article 2 of the act says that “amusement tax shall be levied on tickets sold or fees charged by amusement places, facilities or activities” in six categories: “Cinema; professional singing, story-telling, dancing, circus, magic show, acrobatics
Tainan, Taipei and New Taipei City recorded the highest fines nationwide for illegal accommodations in the first quarter of this year, with fines issued in the three cities each exceeding NT$7 million (US$220,639), Tourism Administration data showed. Among them, Taipei had the highest number of illegal short-term rental units, with 410. There were 3,280 legally registered hotels nationwide in the first quarter, down by 14 properties, or 0.43 percent, from a year earlier, likely indicating operators exiting the market, the agency said. However, the number of unregistered properties rose to 1,174, including 314 illegal hotels and 860 illegal short-term rental
INFLATION UP? The IMF said CPI would increase to 1.5 percent this year, while the DGBAS projected it would rise to 1.68 percent, with GDP per capita of US$44,181 The IMF projected Taiwan’s real GDP would grow 5.2 percent this year, up from its 2.1 percent outlook in January, despite fears of global economic disruptions sparked by the US-Iran conflict. Taiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) is projected to increase to 1.5 percent, while unemployment would be 3.4 percent, roughly in line with estimates for Asia as a whole, the international body wrote in its Global Economic Outlook Report published in the US on Monday. The figures are comparatively better than the IMF outlook for the rest of the world, which pegged real GDP growth at 3.1 percent, down from 3.3 percent
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