President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday reaffirmed his latest position on cross-strait matters, saying that the Beijing government should respect the will of all the people of Taiwan so that both sides can jointly seek a framework for future political integration.
"I have already said during my `new century' speech on Dec. 31, last year, that `one China' should not be an issue under the ROC Constitution," Chen said as he received visiting US congressmen.
"But I will also appeal to the Beijing authorities to pay heed to all Taiwanese people's doubts about `one China,' which has been a core source of cross-strait political deadlock," Chen said, "and to understand what Taiwanese really think."
Chen was receiving a group of Democratic members of the US House of Representatives at the Presidential Office. He said that he had worked hard to normalize relations with China since his inauguration on May 20, trying to defuse tension and resolve conflicts across the Strait.
"In the face of new economic circumstances, including Taiwan's and China's expected accession into the WTO, the ROC government is taking an open and pro-active attitude toward economic and trade relations across the Taiwan Strait," Chen told the guests.
"And we are working to readjust policies on direct trade, post and transportation links between the two sides," he said.
Chen added that this was an era of dialogue and reconciliation and urged Beijing to return to the negotiating table for talks to achieve security and peace for both sides and the region at large.
The president also expressed his appreciation for the House of Representatives' support of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, authored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms and aimed at strengthening Taiwan's defensive capabilities.
He then stressed that the US Congress and Taiwan should continue to cooperate jointly to secure peace in the Asia-Pacific region, saying a stable Taiwan Strait is not only in line with Taiwan's interests, but also key to US interests in the Pacific.
Chen expressed his hope that US-Taiwan relations would continue to progress after the new US administration takes office on Jan. 20. He urged the incoming George W. Bush administration to review the current US policy on exchanges of visits by ministerial-level officials of the two countries, in order to further bolster bilateral ties.
Chen's guests included delegation head Representative Eva Clayton, a Democrat from North Carolina, and six other Democratic representatives.
Chen's political integration remarks have recently received a positive reaction from leaders of Taiwan's opposition parties and US officials. The DPP, however, gave two diametrically different responses to Chen.
Leaders of some party factions, especially die-hard independence supporters, argued that Chen had already violated the party's independence guidelines. Others in the party said that the president had just broadened the nation's options, having clearly stated that the desires of the 23 million Taiwanese people should be put first.
"We are waiting for the president to further define the meaning of `integration,' such as the necessary conditions, timetable and procedures to implement," said DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has refrained from comment about the president's integration remarks. It has, however, reiterated its position that once Taiwan accepts the "one China" principle, the two sides can negotiate any issue.
UPDATED (3:40pm): A suspected gas explosion at a shopping mall in Taichung this morning has killed four people and injured 20 others, as emergency responders continue to investigate. The explosion occurred on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Situn District (西屯) at 11:33am. One person was declared dead at the scene, while three people were declared deceased later after receiving emergency treatment. Another 20 people sustained major or minor injuries. The Taichung Fire Bureau said it received a report of the explosion at 11:33am and sent rescuers to respond. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, it said. The National Fire
ACCOUNTABILITY: The incident, which occured at a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store in Taichung, was allegedly caused by a gas explosion on the 12th floor Shin Kong Group (新光集團) president Richard Wu (吳昕陽) yesterday said the company would take responsibility for an apparent gas explosion that resulted in four deaths and 26 injuries at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Zhonggang Store in Taichung yesterday. The Taichung Fire Bureau at 11:33am yesterday received a report saying that people were injured after an explosion at the department store on Section 3 of Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯). It sent 56 ambulances and 136 paramedics to the site, with the people injured sent to Cheng Ching Hospital’s Chung Kang Branch, Wuri Lin Shin Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital or Chung
ALL-IN-ONE: A company in Tainan and another in New Taipei City offer tours to China during which Taiwanese can apply for a Chinese ID card, the source said The National Immigration Agency and national security authorities have identified at least five companies that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese identification cards while traveling in China, a source said yesterday. The issue has garnered attention in the past few months after YouTuber “Pa Chiung” (八炯) said that there are companies in Taiwan that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese documents. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) last week said that three to five public relations firms in southern and northern Taiwan have allegedly assisted Taiwanese in applying for Chinese ID cards and were under investigation for potential contraventions of the Act Governing
‘LAWFUL USE’: The last time a US warship transited the Taiwan Strait was on Oct. 20 last year, and this week’s transit is the first of US President Donald Trump’s second term Two US military vessels transited the Taiwan Strait from Sunday through early yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement, the first such mission since US President Donald Trump took office last month. The two vessels sailed south through the Strait, the ministry said, adding that it closely monitored nearby airspace and waters at the time and observed nothing unusual. The ministry did not name the two vessels, but the US Navy identified them as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit from