Cross-strait officials and analysts yesterday downplayed US Secre-tary of State Colin Powell's recent assertion that Taiwan "does not enjoy sovereignty," stressing that the "one China" policy had not been "fundamentally changed" in light of the remarks.
"Taiwan, with the national title of Republic of China, is an independent, sovereign country. This is an undeniable fact. Taiwan is not under the People's Republic of China's jurisdiction," Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told the Taipei Times.
Powell had expressed opposition to any "unilateral action that would prejudice an eventual outcome, a reunification that all parties are seeking" during an interview conducted by CNN in Beijing on Monday.
He also told Hong Kong's Phoenix TV that "It [Taiwan] does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation."
Wu said the US State Department had already publicly stated that the "one China" policy had not been altered and said that President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) adherence to the content of his inauguration and National Day speech remained unchanged as well.
Wu spoke with the Taipei Times yesterday after a high-level government meeting on Powell's comments.
"In addition, the president already expressed in his inaugural address on May 20 this year that he will not rule out any sort of political relationship with China as long as it is an arrangement to which Taiwan's 23 million citizens agree," Wu said.
Alexander Huang (黃介正), a director of Tamkang University Graduate Institute of Strategic and International Studies and former vice chairman of the council, also felt that Powell's remarks did not indicate any significant change in policy.
"This can be considered a setback for this round ? Taiwan was partially humiliated or insulted," Huang said, but noted that no fundamental change had been made to Washington's "one China" policy.
Huang interpreted Powell's comments to be targeted at the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the US.
However, he warned that the nation had to acknowledge that recent events in Taiwan could have prompted Powell's responses during the interviews in China.
"The US government praised Chen's inaugural address and the Double Ten speech ? but even as the US sees [President] Chen as the ultimate policymaker, they are annoyed by other factors," Huang said.
Huang was referring to Senior Presidential Adviser Koo Kwang-ming's (
According to Huang, Powell's rhetoric could be seen as a direct response to such events and as such a warning, in effect saying: "Do not deviate from Chen's remarks. Do not change the status quo through words or actions."
However, Lai I-chung (
Lai said that Koo had clearly distanced himself from the Presidential Office in placing the advertisements. He also pointed out that the US could have easily addressed the events directly.
Lai came just short of attributing Powell's remarks to a "slip of the tongue" yesterday, saying that previous statements made by government officials had been such.
"After the interview, Powell nevertheless referred to the president as President Chen Shui-bian," Lai said, adding that perhaps it was an effort to downplay or rectify previous remarks that Taiwan did not enjoy sovereignty. Lai pointed out, however, that the US has never seen Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
According to Lai, the clearest message was the State Department's assertion that Washing-ton's "one China" policy remains unchanged.
He highlighted that Powell's comments had been made during interviews, and not at the formal talks conducted during Powell's visit with state officials.
Lai also attributed the timing of Powell's trip, just days before the US presidential election, to the need to stabilize problems arising from North Korea's nuclear wea-pons program.
Powell has said previously that he plans to step down as State Department head whether there was a change in administration after the Nov. 2 elections or not, and Chinese language reports have likened Powell's visit to Asia to a "graduation trip" of sorts.
"If Powell's trip were just a graduation trip, the question would be why doesn't Powell wait until November," Lai said, adding that North Korea could be a factor in the upcoming elections.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS