The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is looking forward to dialogue across the Taiwan Strait to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgements in maintaining cross-strait peace, DPP spokeswoman Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) said yesterday.
The DPP remains committed to dealing with cross-strait issues and looks forward to conducting dialogue with China’s new leadership following the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress, Wu said.
The congress ended on Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) emerging more powerful than ever after a leadership reshuffle and with no apparent successor.
In a speech at the congress, Xi maintained Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, opposing Taiwanese independence and saying that Taipei and Beijing can engage in dialogue if the “historical fact” that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one China” is recognized, something the DPP has not been willing to do.
However, Wu told reporters after a meeting of the DPP Central Standing Committee that the party looks forward to engaging in dialogue with China’s new leaders to jointly protect peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The DPP believes that cross-strait politics should not infringe upon the welfare of Taiwanese and Chinese, and both sides should do their best to maintain cross-strait exchanges and other rights, including Taiwanese’s right to determine their own future, she said.
Emphasizing that Taiwan would not return to an age of resistance, Wu said that the DPP government would not cave under pressure from Beijing.
As this year marks the 30th anniversary of people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, the DPP hopes that both sides will remember how far they have come on cross-strait relations and work together to preserve the peace, she added.
In 1987, Taipei lifted a ban on veterans visiting China, paving the way for decades of warmer ties across the Taiwan Strait.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central