The compromise on names that Taiwan uses in international affairs is a temporary expedient and the result of Beijing's interference, President Chen Shui-bian (
While receiving dozens of members of the US-based Formosa Foundation at the Presidential Office, Chen reiterated his willingness to attend the November APEC leaders' summit in Busan, South Korea, even if it means using the name "Chinese Taipei."
Chen said he fully understands that it would be very difficult to break the convention that only allows participation by special envoys of Taiwan's president at APEC summits.
"The name `Chinese Taipei' is not my idea. But it is nevertheless the name accepted by the organization in 1991 when Taiwan applied for membership. Years have passed and I would like to have it [that name] replaced by `Taiwan' but it would be difficult to do," Chen said.
In a bid to clarify the relationship between Taiwan and Republic of China (ROC), Chen outlined his "Four Stages" theory of the country's development.
According to Chen, the first stage was the establishment of the ROC in China in 1912. The second stage was when the ROC moved to Taiwan in 1949. When Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was president (1988-2000), the nation was a stage of "the ROC in Taiwan." After the 2000 presidential election and the first transfer of power, the nation entered a new era -- "the ROC is Taiwan."
Chen said that last week the word "Taiwan" had been added next to "Republic of China" on the English-language section of the Presidential Office's Web site in an effort to avoid confusion between the ROC and the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Chen said it is too bad that China hampers Taiwan's efforts to participate in the international community, but that Beijing's obvious malice can be seen by not just Taiwan but the entire world.
Using last year's Olympic Games award ceremonies as an example, the president said that most Taiwanese people were upset because they did not see the national flag or hear the national anthem when medals were presented to Taiwanese athletes.
Chen said the name Taiwan is not used as the country's official name in any international organization or event, noting that its name in the WTO is the "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu."
Chen said that the compromises on names used to participate in international affairs is a temporary expedient. However, the nation's sovereignty, which belongs to the 23 million Taiwanese people, cannot be given up or shared.
The reaction of the legislative caucuses to Chen's theory was mixed.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said Chen was simply stating the facts and that his theory would help ease tensions between people of different ages and among ethnic groups who have different feelings and identifications for the country.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus whip Mark Ho (何敏豪) said that although Chen was simply stating the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign state, only by enacting a new constitution and recitifying the national title can the nation's sovereign status be ensured.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (
People First Party (PFP) caucus whip Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) said that the definition and status of the ROC should be based on the Constitution and politicians should not take the liberty of making individual interpretations.
(Additional reporting by staff reporter Ko Shu-ling)
Taiwan from Thursday is to reinstate visa exemptions for passport holders from 65 countries. Mandatory quarantine for arriving travelers is to be lifted on Oct. 13 , when restrictions on inbound and outbound tour groups are also to be lifted. The following is a list of answers to common questions regarding how the new regulations are to affect inbound international visitors Which passports will have visa-free entry privileges? Eleven more countries on Thursday are to join 54 countries that were given visa-free privileges on Sept. 12. Passport holders from Japan, South Korea, Chile, Israel and Nicaragua can stay in Taiwan for up to 90 days without a visa. Taiwan is also to resume 30-day visa-free stays for citizens of the Dominican Republic, Singapore and Malaysia. Passport holders from Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines are to be allowed to stay in Taiwan for 14 days visa-free. Taiwan on Sept. 12 resumed 90-day visa-free entry for passport holders from the US, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New
PRIDE AND FURY: Supporters of the Taiwan People’s Communist Party sang in Tainan, while Taiwan loyalists in Kaohsiung vowed to ‘protect Taiwan until death’ Two small Taiwanese groups at the far ends of the debate over relations with Beijing marked the National Day of the People’s Republic of China yesterday with flag raisings and flag burnings — opposite responses at a time of rising tension over the Taiwan Strait. Oct. 1 marks the day that Mao Zedong (毛澤東) proclaimed the People’s Republic of China in 1949, with the defeated Republic of China government fleeing to Taiwan at the end of that year, where — after democratic reforms — it remains to this day, neither recognizing the other. China’s national day is not officially marked in any
VOICING SUPPORT: The German ambassador to the US said that the country should not allow China to move goalposts to isolate Taiwan or break international law Relations with Germany continue to warm as German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Klaus-Peter Willsch, leading a six-person delegation, left Germany for a six-day visit to Taiwan yesterday. The visit is yet another move by Berlin this year in support of Taiwan. The German Bundestag in May unanimously passed a resolution to support Taiwan’s bid to participate in the WHO as an observer. German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach added his support for Taiwan’s participation at the World Health Assembly this year. German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock in August voiced support for Taiwan in light of Beijing’s military response to US
A scooter owner is under investigation for using a sticker bearing the words “Tainan City Government Police Bureau Patrol Vehicle” on his scooter. Tainan Police Department’s Yongkang Precinct said in a press release on Thursday that it received a report about a photograph of a food delivery scooter with the sticker being shared on social media. Police launched an investigation and spotted the electric scooter on Chungcheng Road in the city’s Yongkang District (永康). The scooter owner, surnamed Kao (高), said he had bought the sticker online and put it on his scooter because he thought it was fun and special, police
RSS