President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that the will of Taiwanese to join the UN will not falter despite Chinese pressure imposed on China-based Taiwanese businesspeople.
Chen said Beijing had exerted tremendous pressure on Taiwanese businesspeople operating in China since the nation launched a campaign to join the UN under the name "Taiwan."
"Chinese coercion to thwart Taiwan's efforts to shape its international character and deepen its democracy only makes Taiwanese more disgusted with this type of behavior," he said. "It will never block the strong desire of Taiwanese to participate in international organizations and hold a referendum on joining the UN under the name `Taiwan.'"
Chen made the remarks while receiving the winners of a national award recognizing architects at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.
Chen said Beijing's threats validate the belief that Chinese authorities mix politics with business and expose the lie behind Beijing's contention that it would not let politics interfere with the economy.
In an interview with the German weekly Die Zeit published yesterday, Chen said the UN referendum would go ahead as planned and that he does not have the right to stop the campaign because it represents the will of the people.
"I am not a king. I don't have a right of veto over a referendum initiated by the people," he said.
Emphasizing that the US is a loyal ally of Taiwan and a good friend, Chen said Taiwan has paid great attention to the opinions and concerns of Washington and would continue to communicate with the US, even when the two governments do not see eye to eye.
Chen said that when he made the "four noes and one not" pledge in 2000, the precondition was that Beijing would not intend to use military force against Taiwan.
However, the number of missiles China is targeting at Taiwan has increased from 200 in 2000 to 988 this year.
"It does not make sense to ask the 23 million people of Taiwan to shut up because of intimidation by Beijing," he said. "Taiwan's best weapon is not missiles or tanks, but its democracy. A referendum is direct democracy in action."
Acknowledging German Chancellor Angela Merkel's resistance to Beijing's pressure over the visit of the Dalai Lama, Chen said the US and European countries cannot draw a red line for Taiwan and restrict its efforts to deepen its democracy simply because they and China share common interests.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
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