Efforts by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) to rewrite Koxinga’s “liberation” of Taiwan as having brought both sides of the Taiwan Strait under “one China” cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign country, the Mainland Affairs Council said on Wednesday.
Koxinga, also known as Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功), was a Ming Dynasty loyalist and military commander who in 1662 conquered Dutch-held Fort Zeelandia and established the capital of his renegade kingdom in Tainan, as a base of operations against the Qing empire.
Events marking Cheng’s liberation of Taiwan 360 years ago were held in Chiayi County and Nanan City, China, on Tuesday, with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) attending the event in Taiwan and TAO Minister Liu Jieyi (劉結一) attending the event in China.
Photo: Wu Shu-wei, Taipei Times
Chinese media quoted Liu as telling the Nanan City event that he hoped “Taiwanese compatriots would engage themselves toward the goal of unification.”
TAO spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) told a news briefing on Wednesday that Koxinga was a hero worshiped on both sides of the Strait for having “liberated Taiwan,” upholding the dignity of the Zhonghua minzu (中華民族, Chinese ethnic group), and favoring the Zhonghua minzu by protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The MAC said that Taiwan is a sovereign state and has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China.
No matter what “united front” rhetoric or method the Chinese Communist Party uses, both sides of the Strait belonging to “one China” is an illusion and cannot change the facts, the council said.
The council accused the KMT of participating in China’s “united front” tactic on Tuesday, and urged Taiwanese to cherish their hard-won democracy and freedoms.
Taiwanese should be aware that China seeks to divide Taiwan from within, the council added.
The MAC warned Taiwanese and civic groups to watch out for Chinese “united front” rhetoric at cross-strait events, and to abide by the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) so that the nation’s interests are not harmed.
No citizen or group should participate in discussions or events on “democratic negotiations” or a “one country, two systems” model, which have been promoted by Beijing, the council said, adding that it is closely monitoring Chinese activities promoting “united rhetoric.”
The council said it would take action against people found to have contravened the law.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park this weekend, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a theme food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances. Pokemon Go Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as photo attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs. Pokemon trainers could also experience the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area. Three PokeStops are to be set up in the park. Trainers are invited to take
RSS