Vice President Annette Lu (
Although Bush told visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin (
Instead of worrying about what some analysts called Washington's tilt toward Beijing, Lu said, "Taiwan should concentrate on its own business."
She made the comments to reporters while she attended a meeting intended to promote volunteer work.
Speaking at the gathering, Lu lauded volunteer work as "the fifth estate," which she claimed "will exercise a greater influence on society" than the other four estates -- the executive, the legislature, justice and the media.
She urged the country's youth to join volunteer groups to serve their communities and the country.
In a related development that day, Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), secretary-general of the Office of the President, played down the significance of Bush's remarks, saying Washington's policy toward Taiwan should be judged by how his administration has interacted with Taiwan in general rather than by any single word from the president.
"I am not sensitive enough to see what changes, if any, in Washington's policy on Taiwan were implied in Bush's remarks on Saturday." Chen said.
Taipei's de facto ambassador to Washington, Chen Chien-jen (程建人), said Saturday that Bush and Jiang only reiterated their government's existing policies and no new ground was broken, although he added that Washington has not yet briefed Taiwan on the details of the Saturday's talks.
Chen said that Washington usually briefs Taipei prior to talks with Beijing and gives a rundown of the talks afterward. His office was informed beforehand of the meeting, including how long it was expected to last, which officials would be present and other details, he said
Apparently at Beijing's urging, Bush was quoted as telling Jiang that his government does not support Taiwan independence, but he also reiterated Washington's longstanding policy that the Taiwan-China dispute should be solved peacefully.
Political analysts in Washington said Bush's statement will soothe the hawks in Beijing who are dissatisfied with what they consider Jiang's weak stand on Taiwan.
North Korea, which admitted that it was developing nuclear weapons earlier this month, gave Jiang extra bargaining power in the talks, as Washington will ask Beijing to refrain from helping Pyongyang to build a nuclear arsenal, the analysts said.
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.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
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