The Democratic Progressive Party has never acknowledged the existence of the so-called “1992 consensus” or “one China” consensus, spokesperson Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said yesterday.
Lin was responding to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) challenge to DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to clearly state if her party acknowledges the “1992 consensus” between Taiwan and China.
If Taiwan does not recognize the consensus, which Ma called a bedrock of the relationship, uncertainty would be created and doubts would arise over cross-strait peace, Ma was quoted as saying by the United Evening News on Thursday.
Lin said that for the DPP, the so-called “1992 consensus” represents a consensus on “one China,” which it has never agreed to. Ma should first explain what he means by the “1992 consensus,” Lin said.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has defined the “1992 consensus” as a tacit agreement between Taipei and Beijing that there is but “one China” whose meaning is open for each side to interpret. The KMT would interpret “one China” as the Republic of China on Taiwan, while Beijing would define it as the People’s Republic of China.
However, former KMT legislator Su Chi (蘇起) admitted in February 2006 that he made up the term in 2000 — when he was head of the Mainland Affairs Council — to break the cross-strait deadlock and alleviate tension.
Lin cited recent examples of Chinese officials addressing Taiwanese officials with Mr, Mrs, or the honorific form of “you,” instead of their official titles, which he said raised doubts about the government’s approach to dealing with China.
While Taiwanese officials call their Chinese counterparts by their official titles, such as “Chairman Chen Yunlin” (陳雲林) of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) could only express regret at Chen addressing her by first name or as “you,” Lin said.
“Why is it that Chinese officials visiting Taiwan do not show their respect to Taiwanese officials and address them by their official titles?” Lin asked. “Is that equality?”
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration is seeking to join an Indo-Pacific economic framework being planned by the US, a senior official said. The government is paying close attention to the regional economic pact being touted by US President Joe Biden, although too few details have emerged from Washington for Taipei to make specific plans, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The US is expected to launch the Indo-Pacific economic framework next month after negotiations with Australia, India and Japan, the official said. The economic initiative is to tackle trade facilitation, standards for the digital economy and technology, supply-chain resiliency and
PIVOTAL ROLE: Taiwan’s importance in the global chip supply chain can be bolstered by domestic equipment manufacturing, President Tsai Ing-wen said Efforts must be made to better secure Taiwan’s place in the global supply chain by localizing production of equipment and facilities used by the semiconductor industry, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday. Tsai discussed the issue during a meeting with representatives from the Taiwan Electronic Equipment Industry Association at the Presidential Office in Taipei. Product shortages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — particularly of automotive chips — highlighted the pivotal role of Taiwan in the global supply chain, she said. Tsai thanked the association for cooperating with the government on the shared goal of localizing production of important semiconductor industry equipment.
SEPARATE CASE? A woman tested positive when she went with her daughter to be tested, because her daughter had taken the same bus to school as a steakhouse worker The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 10 local COVID-19 cases, six of whom had visited a steakhouse in Taoyuan where an infection cluster has been reported. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that of the 10 local infections, one case — No. 17,928 — is a Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport disease prevention staffer who works in the area where inbound travelers collect their saliva for a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and sometimes at the fever screening station. The staffer had tested negative in a PCR test on Jan. 9 and
TRACING UNDER WAY: The CECC has identified six transmission chains among 25 recently confirmed COVID-19 cases, including those linked to a restaurant and a bank The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 54 new COVID-19 infections — 44 imported and 10 local — and identified six transmission chains among local cases. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said the imported cases are 18 who tested positive upon arrival at the airport and 26 who tested positive during quarantine. Of the local cases, seven are associated with a cluster infection at a Tasty Steak (西堤牛排) outlet in Taoyuan’s Zhongli District (中壢), one is linked to a family of four with COVID-19 reported on Monday, one is a family member of an
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