President Chen Shui-bian's (
"[The meeting] is a delusional hope. There is no chance of its realization," said KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (
Chen said Friday that he would be willing to sit down and talk with Hu in a third country, given that such meeting had no preconditions. On Friday, Chen also identified the US as a possible location for a meeting.
While opportunities in cross-strait relations can always be created, said Chang yesterday, Chen has already said "at least twenty times" that he hopes to meet with Hu, which has still not come to fruition.
The purpose of Chen's comments yesterday were less to actually facilitate a meeting with Hu and more to narrow the distance between him and Washington, Chang said.
However, the US is very clear on China's policies and bottom line. The US will not push for a Chen-Hu meet on its soil because China will reject such a meeting, Chang said.
Also, Taipei Mayor and KMT Vice Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that he did not think a Chen-Hu summit was possible.
"[A Chen-Hu] meet won't be easy, given the current atmosphere. The administration has always been against the `1992 consensus.' I'm afraid it will be difficult to have a breakthrough in cross-strait relations," Ma said yesterday.
Both the KMT and the People First Party (PFP) have said that future talks with China should take place under the so-called "1992 consensus." The term refers to an agreement between Chinese and Taiwanese negotiators on the "one China" principle, but what is meant by "one China" is open to interpretation.
In contrast, the PFP yesterday was more optimistic about the chances of a Chen-Hu meeting.
"Our bridge-building' trip to China was meant to facilitate a meeting between Chen and Hu," PFP Spokesman Hsieh Kung-pin (
"As the opposition, we, and all the Taiwanese people, hope that Chen can meet with Hu," Hsieh said.
When asked about Chen's comments that any meeting with Hu would have to take place without any preconditions, given the president's opposition to the so-called "1992 consensus," Hsieh said that the matter was up to Chen.
"Chen is the leader of the nation. It is for him to decide [the circumstances of a meeting with Hu]," Hsieh said.
China has reserved offshore airspace in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. These alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (Notams), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert is
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The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
China has reserved offshore airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts that are usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. The alerts, known as notice to air missions (NOTAMs), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert
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