Lawmakers from both political camps yesterday agreed to pass a legislative resolution to voice the nation's opposition to China's proposed "anti-secession" law, which will most likely be passed during the National People's Congress session which begins tomorrow.
The Legislative Yuan resolution opposing the Chinese law will probably be passed before Tuesday, when the NPC will begin its hearing regarding the anti-secession law.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
For fear of being outshined by its erstwhile ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday proposed its own version of the resolution for today's meeting.
The DPP's draft, entitled "Safeguarding the Sovereignty of the Republic of China," says that the legislature should reach a resolution to reflect the resolve of the Taiwanese people to defend their nation's sovereignty.
"The Republic of China is an independent sovereign state, and not a subordinate of the People's Republic of China," the statement says. "This status quo cannot be altered without the consent of the people of Taiwan via the means of a referendum. The status quo in the Taiwan Strait should be commonly respected, and maintained by the international community, including the People's Republic of China."
Attempts to change such a status quo by any country, regardless of its means -- legislative or military, should be severely condemned and contested by the people of Taiwan, the statement says.
The DPP's draft is similar to that proposed by the TSU. Which states that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state and not part of China. The people of Taiwan should have the right to decide their own future and destiny and pursue such common values as freedom, human rights, democracy and peace.
Pan-blue lawmakers, however, remained evasive about their final stance on the matter.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Chen Chieh (陳杰) said that his caucus' support hinges on the content of the resolution.
"We will endorse it if it is beneficial to the nation, but we will oppose it if it is detrimental," he said.
People First Party caucus whip Chen Chih-bin (
In addition to the legislative resolution, Wang said that lawmakers yesterday agreed to present nominees for the legislature's "cross-strait affair response taskforce" by March 20.
The 25-member task force will be headed by Wang and Deputy Speaker Chung Jung-chi (
Also See Story:
GIO urges Beijing not to push `anti-secession' law
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
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
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a political foundation based on the “1992 consensus” and opposition to Taiwanese independence, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) today said during her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Both sides of the Strait should plan and build institutionalized and sustainable mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation based on that foundation to make peaceful development across the Strait irreversible, she said. Peace is a shared moral value across the Strait, and both sides should move beyond political confrontation to seek institutionalized solutions to prevent war, she said. Mutually beneficial cross-strait relations are what the
ECONOMIC COERCION: Such actions are often inconsistently applied, sometimes resumed, and sometimes just halted, the Presidential Office spokeswoman said The government backs healthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges, but such arrangements should not be made with political conditions attached and never be used as leverage for political maneuvering or partisan agendas, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday. Kuo made the remarks after China earlier in the day announced 10 new “incentive measures” for Taiwan, following a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in Beijing on Friday. The measures, unveiled by China’s Xinhua news agency, include plans to resume individual travel by residents of Shanghai and China’s Fujian
RSS