President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated his call on Beijing to remove its missiles targeting Taiwan and improve cross-strait relations through negotiation.
“Peace never comes easily, because more than 1,000 missiles deployed by Beijing are still aimed at Taiwan,” he said while attending this year’s Asia-Pacific International Leadership Conference at the Grand Hotel.
Ma pledged to make Taiwan a “peacemaker” rather than a “troublemaker” in the region and push for more cross-strait talks, while reducing conflict across the Taiwan Strait.
“Tensions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will be eased through the normalization of bilateral trade and economic activities,” Ma said.
Ma said his administration had dedicated a great deal of effort in pushing for dialogue across the strait and reducing cross-strait conflict since taking office.
The development of cross-strait relations, tourism, trade and the implementation of the three links, Ma said, showed that the two sides were able to establish a peaceful relationship through dialogue.
The normalization of cross-strait relations will also help Taiwan address other issues, including the country’s international space with China, the president said.
Taiwan should respond to the opportunities and challenges posed by China, and his administration would continue to create a freer economic environment that would let Taiwan enhance its competitive advantages.
China’s military buildup, however, continues to hinder the cultivation of harmonious cross-strait relations and peace in the Asia-Pacific region, Ma said, calling on China to remove the missiles deployed on the opposite side of the strait.
Reverend William Luo (羅榮光), a pro-independence advocate who attended the conference, shouted: “No Justice” at Ma during his speech. Ma ignored the remarks and continued his speech.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or