Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) yesterday described the nation’s relationship with China as one between friends, but added that he advocates Taiwanese independence.
Lai, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said his stance on cross-strait relations is clear, which is in favor of “Taiwanese independence and that stance will not change no matter what position I hold.”
However, he said his attitude toward China is friendly and his strategy is flexible, adding that he would seek common ground and put aside differences in cross-strait exchanges to enhance bilateral understanding.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
He was asked during a radio interview about the differences between his approach to China and that of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent.
Both mayors have made friendly remarks about China over the past few weeks.
Lai spoke of “feeling an affinity toward China while loving Taiwan,” while Ko, during a visit to Shanghai to attend a twin-city forum, said “both sides are of a family.”
Lai yesterday said Ko defined cross-strait ties as a relationship between a couple, while he defined them as between friends.
What they have in common is that neither accepts the so-called “1992 consensus,” Lai said.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
“Taiwanese independence is the broadest consensus in Taiwanese society,” Lin said.
The “1992 consensus” and the efforts to have the DPP abandon its pro-independence platform or sign a cross-strait peace agreement are all ploys used by China to divide Taiwan with the aim of annexing the nation, Lai said.
He also described cross-strait relations as international relations and said that when deciding on the nation’s direction, the goal should be maximizing the welfare of the public rather than moving within boundaries set by big powers.
“China is not to be feared. What is to be feared is that we cannot unite,” he said.
Regarding former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) remark that Chinese authorities “will not accept or be happy with” Lai feeling an affinity toward China while loving Taiwan, Lai said the remark reflected Ma’s problem.
“Ma cares too much about whether China is happy and ignores the will of Taiwanese,” Lai said.
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
RSS