President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would not address the two sides of Taiwan Strait as “two nations” in describing cross-strait relations, the Presidential Office said yesterday.
“According to the Constitution, the Republic of China [ROC] is a sovereign nation, and mainland China is an ‘area’ under the structure of the ROC Constitution,” Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said.
“We do not recognize the Chinese communist authorities’ sovereignty. We only hold a non-denial attitude toward its existence in the ‘Mainland area,’” Wang said.
Wang made the remarks in response to a report by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) about changes made by the Presidential Office to Ma’s wording after a meeting with US Representative James Sensenbrenner Jr on Wednesday.
Meeting the US congressman in the Presidential Office, Ma discussed the government’s signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China and called on the US Congress to supports Taiwan’s efforts to sign a bilateral extradition agreement with the US.
A press release the Presidential Office issued to media at about 12pm on Wednesday quoted Ma as saying that his administration expected the signing of an ECFA to “institutionalize the more than NT$100 billion [US$3.1 billion] trade volume between the two nations.”
In a press release on the Presidential Office Web site later in the day, however, the term “two nations” was replaced with “two sides.”
Wang said the phrase had been used by “mistake” by a new employee and that the Presidential Office made the correction immediately after discovering the mistake. The president would not make such a mistake, he said.
Wang said the term used by the government reflected the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait under the Constitution and that such a constitutional structure was revised by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and followed by the Democratic Progressive Party government.
“It also reflects the political reality of the Strait. [The description] shows no signs of weakness. Instead, it highlights the sovereignty of the ROC,” Wang said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old