A US delegation tasked by US President Joe Biden to reaffirm the country’s commitment to its partnership with Taiwan yesterday wrapped up a three-day visit to Taipei.
Former US senator Chris Dodd, former US deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, and US Department of State Office of Taiwan Coordination Director Dan Biers departed at 11:20am on a private jet.
The members of the delegation, all friends of Biden, arrived on Wednesday and met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and other government officials.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
During the three-day visit, the delegation also met with six members of the Legislative Yuan USA Caucus: Democratic Progressive Party legislators Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇); Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and Charles Chen (陳以信); Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安); and independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐).
During the meeting, members of the delegation asked about the KMT legislators’ interpretation of the so-called “1992 consensus,” sources 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 KMT and the Chinese government that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
In response to media queries, Chiang yesterday said that he responded by clarifying the “1992 consensus” from three aspects.
First, the “consensus” does not mean “one country, two systems,” a model that the KMT firmly opposes; second, it is a historical fact that has been the basis for cross-strait interaction; and third, there has been discussion within the KMT about whether it should replace the “consensus” with something that could garner more support, Chiang said.
He also told the visitors that Taiwan needs more international space for development and hopefully the US would lend more support for Taiwan to join international organizations, especially the WHO.
Regarding the issue of US pork containing traces of ractopamine, Chiang said they did not discuss the matter with the delegation, saying it is an internal affair.
It is DPP lawmakers who should discuss that issue and ask the delegation what Taiwan would obtain in exchange for lifting restrictions on US pork imports, he said.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲), who was also invited to the meeting, said yesterday that he did not attend because the American Institute in Taiwan did not clarify the meeting’s purpose in advance.
As a supporter of an initiative to reinstate a ban on pork products containing ractopamine, he did not want to be pressured by US representatives, Lin said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is to blame for Taiwan’s antipathy toward the “1992 consensus,” because he falsely connected the “consensus” with the concept of exploring a “Taiwan model” under the “one country, two systems” framework, Lin said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) has even denied the existence of the Republic of China, meaning he also rejects Taiwan’s interpretation of the “1992 consensus,” Lin said.
Xi, Ma and the DPP have ruined the “consensus,” he added.
Separately, Chen said that in the meeting with the delegation he did not criticize young Taiwanese by saying they lack an understanding of international affairs, as alleged by some DPP lawmakers.
In response to the delegation asking the lawmakers to identify the most critical issues in bilateral relations, a legislator said that the countries should work closer together to tackle unconventional challenges, such as cognitive warfare and influence campaigns, while another legislator called for further cooperation in economic matters and supply chain security, sources said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS