Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country so there is no need to hold a referendum on independence, only on the question of unification with China, an official said yesterday.
Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) was responding to a call by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) in a KMT Central Standing Committee meeting on Saturday.
Lien said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has repeatedly advocated "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait, an independent Taiwan and the establishment of a nation" to try to fool the people of Taiwan, and said he tried to call the DPP's bluff by daring President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to propose a referendum on independence, which could be held alongside the Dec. 11 legislative elections.
The president responded during a stumping trip for DPP legislative candidates that night by saying that he would not fall for Lien's ploy, adding that everyone knows that he sticks to his "Five Noes" pledge -- which includes no referendum on independence or unification.
Chen Chi-mai noted that the president has stressed on several occasions that Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country and its name is the Republic of China. Only if the nation or its status quo is threatened by foreign countries or its sovereignty is at risk of being changed, will the president invoke Article 17 of the Referendum Law (公投法) concerning a "defensive referendum."
Chen Chi-mai also reminded Lien that according to the Referendum Law that cleared the legislature last November, there is no possibility of holding a referendum on independence.
He said that Article II of the Referendum Law stipulates that issues concerning changing the name and geographic boundaries of the nation involve constitutional revisions and cannot be included in a referendum.
"Lien doesn't even understand the law he helped clear in the legislature," Chen Chi-mai said, adding that he "felt sorry for him."
Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), director of the party's Department of Culture and Information, criticized Lien for being too reckless as a party chief.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first