Beijing's gestures in a recent press conference are "unacceptable" and politically motivated, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, receiving China's agricultural and transportation proposals with suspicion.
"It's unacceptable but not unexpected," Council Vice Chairman and spokesman You Ying-lung (游盈隆) told reporters yesterday, adding that the council would not stand for Beijing's "serious manipulation" of the Presidential Office's seven-point statement announced last Tuesday.
You added that Beijing was intent on bypassing the government and working with opposition party representatives.
"This is the blind spot in their ideologically driven approach," You said, referring to remarks from Beijing that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (
Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Li Weiyi (李維一) said yesterday during a scheduled press conference that the seven-point statement put restrictions on economic, educational and cultural exchanges, and put a halt to cooperation. He said the statement was like backing up a car -- referring to the statement's failure to produce progress -- and was not in the Taiwanese people's interests, according to government mouthpiece the People's Daily yesterday.
The People's Daily further reported that He Shizhong (何世忠), director of the TAO's economic bureau, reiterated standing invitations, proposing that Taiwanese agricultural delegations visit China and indicating China's willingness to visit central and southern Taiwan to boost agricultural trade.
Lee further assured reporters that Beijing did not have any plans to adopt any supplementary legislation to complement the "Anti-Secession" Law and that Beijing was willing to make "special arrangements" for Taiwan's participation at the World Health Organization's annual summit. The caveat, however, would be a recognition of the "one China" principle.
According to the People's Daily, Lee also made concessions on an "exchange of opinion" on cargo and passenger charter flights between Taiwan and China for the first time.
Lee's remarks were met with skepticism in Taipei, however, with MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) calling the moves "insincere."
"Just because they say there will be no supplementary laws doesn't mean that is so. They say they love peace and Taiwan, but they continue to increase their military capabilities, which are targeted at Taiwan," Wu said.
Fu Don-cheng (
"At this time, we think that it is inappropriate and would harm cross-strait interaction," Fu said.
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
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
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