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.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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