Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (
"I went to China as a vanguard for the government to help it move forward," Chiang said in an interview with the Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) yesterday, in response to recent government criticism over his trip.
Since Chiang's return home, the government has shown little enthusiasm for the 10-point proposal he reached with Chinese Communist Party officials.
It is also investigating whether Chiang broke the law by forming an agreement with China without government authority.
"In regards to the 10 proposals, I did not sign any documents with China, and none of the proposals' contents intrude on areas needing government authority. The proposals were simply expressions of willingness," Chiang said.
"In the face of the opposition party's good intentions to help ameliorate cross-strait relations, the government is taking legal action. This is not a result I anticipated, and I feel regret," he said.
Meanwhile, People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Soong said the conflict over cross-strait affairs should end.
While speaking to reporters, Soong also mocked the KMT's attitude that the trip was made to accomplish what the government has not been able to, thereby highlighting his party's conflict with the KMT.
"Since Mr. Chiang returned to Taiwan, he has said `what the government cannot do, let the KMT do,'" Soong said.
"When I met with President Chen [Shui-bian (
Also see story:
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
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
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
RSS