By studying the possibility of re-evaluating Mongolia's status as part of ROC territory, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is taking further steps toward recognizing it as an independent state.
The move follows revised Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) regulations exempting Outer Mongolia's citizens from outdated diplomatic visa rules.
"For practical reasons, we are pushing the proposal to recognize Mongolia as an independent country, striking Mongolia from the territory listed as part of the ROC's former territory, which would not violate the Constitution," Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) told reporters yesterday evening.
"It is my understanding that most ministries support the idea," Yu said.
According to MOI officials, they started to study the possibility of changing Mongolia's designation after receiving maps published by civic groups which exclude Mongolia during the processes of reviewing and examining maps published in Taiwan.
Chang Yuan-hsu (
The confusion surrounding the issue is based on the fact that the treaty whereby Taipei recognized Mongolia was revoked in 1953. The MOI's proposal would simply return Mongolia to the independent status is enjoyed before the Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty of August 1945 was abrogated in 1953.
In that treaty, the ROC had agreed to recognize Mongolian independence if the Mongolian people voted in favor of it in a referendum. A referendum was duly held in October 1945, with the electorate voting overwhelmingly for independence. The ROC, therefore, recognized Mongolia in January 1946. When the treaty was revoked in 1953, Mongolia ostensibly reverted to sovereign ROC territory.
Chang further cited an administrative document released by the MOI in 1947, which states, "Despite the fact that we recognized Mongolia as a independent country on Jan. 5 1946, the borders [between the two] still need to be confirmed."
But Chang emphasized that the issue of Mongolian recognition is a political one and would must be decided by higher-level officials.
Under the rules, maps must be reviewed and examined by the Map Examination Committee, which is staffed by Executive Yuan ministries, before they can be published.
The MOI plans to repeal the regulations to allow the organizations to publish maps without such review and examination.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS