The latest Asia edition of Time magazine is to print an interview with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) — with the cover to feature her photograph — introducing her political background, while portraying her as a confident politician with a sense of humor.
“My purpose in giving the interview was to allow the international community to understand Taiwanese determination to defend values of democracy, and I’m glad that Time chose to make it a cover story and speak so much about the nation’s democratic development,” Tsai said on the sidelines of a campaign event in New Taipei City. “During the interview, I specially reminded the international community to pay attention to recent developments in Taiwan, especially after the Sunflower movement last year. Society now has a different expectation of the future.”
With the headline: “She could lead the only Chinese [sic] democracy,” a Time subheadline is to say: “That could make Beijing nervous.”
Photo: CNA
Tsai said it is a shared responsibility across the Taiwan Strait to maintain peace and stability.
“We want the international community to understand that it is everyone’s shared responsibility to maintain peace and stability,” Tsai said. “We especially stressed the DPP’s determination to maintain cross-strait peace and stability, and we hope everyone will work together to enhance stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.”
In the interview, Tsai said that she would try to maintain the cross-strait “status quo,” while putting “Taiwan’s economy, development and culture first” in her policy platforms if elected.
She said that her policies would be Taiwan-centric, as opposed to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) focus on pushing for new trade and tourism pacts with China.
The report said Tsai was “vague” on the independence-unification issue, as it was not made clear whether the DPP would repeal its stance on independence. On the issue of unificaiton, Tsai said: “It is something you have to resolve democratically — it is a decision to be made by the people.”
The interview said Tsai expressed confidence over her election chances.
Emily Rauhala, a Time reporter in Beijing who penned the article, said that Tsai offered her the last piece of tuna while they were at a Taiwanese-Japanese fusion restaurant in Kaohsiung and said: “Go back to Beijing and tell them you were served by the next president of Taiwan.”
“Tsai is quietly confident that she will gain the trust of Taiwan’s voters and secure victory, whatever Beijing might think,” Rauhala said.
EMBRACE CHANGE: Jensen Huang told NTU graduates that instead of worrying about AI itself, they should worry that people with expertise in AI would be taking their jobs Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining the computer industry, and Taiwanese companies could play a major role in replacing the world’s traditional computers as they are the foundation of the industry, Nvidia Corp cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said in Taipei yesterday. Huang made the remarks while giving the keynote speech at National Taiwan University’s (NTU) commencement ceremony. AI has created immense opportunities, and versatile companies can be expected to take advantage and boost their position, while less flexible firms would perish, he said. “In every way, this is a rebirth of the computer industry and a golden opportunity for the companies of
‘ARCHAIC’: An interpretation of a law that considered Chinese as Taiwanese nationals was scrapped after the death of a Chinese in Kaohsiung led to state reparations An administrative mandate to consider Chinese as Taiwanese citizens was outdated, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday, a day after the Executive Yuan ordered that agencies disregard the 30-year-old interpretation. Chen made the remarks at an event held by the Environmental Protection Administration in Taipei following changes to the administrative mandate concerning 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). The previous interpretation of the law was archaic and contrary to the workings of laws and regulations, he said, adding that the order was made to avoid unnecessary problems created by the mandate. The Mainland
NOT BUYING IT: One of the goals of Beijing’s Cross-Strait Media People Summit was to draw mainstream media executives to discuss the ‘one country, two systems’ formula Taiwanese news media insist on press freedom and professionalism, and would never become a tool of China’s “united front” campaign, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday, responding to media queries about the lack of Taiwanese media executives at the Cross-Strait Media People Summit in Beijing. Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧) was reportedly furious that no Taiwanese media representatives attended a scheduled meeting with him on Thursday last week. “Beijing should take Taiwan’s determination to pursue freedom and democracy seriously. We also hope that it will not use vicious means to interfere with Taiwan’s development into a
IMMIGRATION REFORM: The legislative amendments aim to protect the rights of families to reunify, and to attract skilled professionals to stay and work in Taiwan Foreigners who are highly skilled professionals, top-prize winners in professional disciplines, investment immigration applicants or have made special contributions to Taiwan can soon apply for permanent residency on behalf of their spouses and minor or disabled children after the legislature approved amendments to the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法). The amendments, which were proposed by the Ministry of the Interior and approved by the Executive Yuan on Jan. 12, aim to attract foreign talent to Taiwan and encourage them to stay. They would take effect once they are signed by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The amendments involved changing 63 articles, making it the biggest
RSS