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?”
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
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 Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
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