Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chiu Jung-nan (
Li Yuan-chuam (
Li will begin work on the project today at the square in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, where the giant piece of wood, weighing approximately two tonnes, sits.
Chiu rang a bell during the ceremony to convey a message of peace.
"We seek world peace. Any act that disturbs world peace, such as terrorist acts and China's missile threat to Taiwan, will be condemned by the international community," Chiu said.
Yesterday's ceremony also served as a prelude for an event entitled Festival of Peace for Dismantling All Missiles.
The festival, part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' campaign to protest against China's deployment of hundreds of missiles along its southeastern coast, is to be held today at the square in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall at 5pm.
The festival is co-sponsored by the Taiwan Junior Chamber and is supported by more than 100 civic organizations.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is scheduled to appear at the event, according to the event's organizer.
Chiu appealed for a strong turnout at the event.
"I would like to hereby call on all who care about Taiwan, regardless of age, political party affiliation and ethnic differences, to come out and join us in our call for the dismantling of all of China's missiles aimed at us," Chiu said.
"Let our united action show that we want peace, not fear," he added.
Aside from the event in Taipei today, two other anti-missile gatherings will be held, one in Taichung on Nov. 2 and the other in Kaohsiung on Nov. 9.
DPP Legislator Parris Chang voiced concern on Wednesday after he learned from Washington that the US was to reiterate its position on the Taiwan issue. US President George W. Bush was expected to declare that the US does not support Taiwan independence in a meeting yesterday with Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民).
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
MUST REMAIN FREE: A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would lead to a global conflict, and if the nation blows up, the world’s factories would fall in a week, a minister said Taiwan is like Prague in 1938 facing Adolf Hitler; only if Taiwan remains free and democratic would the world be safe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The ministry on Saturday said Corriere della Sera is one of Italy’s oldest and most read newspapers, frequently covers European economic and political issues, and that Wu agreed to an interview with the paper’s senior political analyst Massimo Franco in Taipei on Jan. 3. The interview was published on Jan. 26 with the title “Taiwan like Prague in 1938 with Hitler,” the ministry