The Republic of China (ROC) is still the most commonly accepted name to refer to the nation, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday, responding to questions about the use of “Taiwan National Day” to refer to Double Ten National Day.
Ko was asked about the Presidential Office’s use of “Taiwan National Day” in English to refer to Double Ten National Day on the official logo of publicity material for the day.
Ko said that every administration has used different terms over the years, from “ROC at Taiwan,” “ROC in Taiwan,” “ROC is Taiwan” to “ROC (Taiwan).”
Photo: Cheng I-hwa, Bloomberg
“At the moment, ROC is the greatest common denominator,” he said, adding that he hopes the holiday can promote a more harmonious society, rather than become a flashpoint for political wrangling.
Double Ten National Day is a day for solidarity and celebration, he said, adding that he hopes everyone, irrespective of their ideology or background, can do their best for society and make Taiwan more united.
Regarding President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) call in her address yesterday morning for “protecting our territory and safeguarding our nation,” Ko said: “Frankly speaking, Taiwan is not yet ready for war.”
“Avoiding war is the goal, but it can only be achieved by preparing for war and having the ability to fight,” he said, adding that the Russian invasion of Ukraine offers Taiwanese an example of how to respond in such a situation, and “that’s when you realize we aren’t ready yet.”
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday voiced dissatisfaction with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), whose latest meeting, concluded earlier the same day, appeared not to address the country’s application. In a statement, MOFA said the CPTPP commission had "once again failed to fairly process Taiwan’s application," attributing the inaction to the bloc’s "succumbing to political pressure," without elaborating. Taiwan submitted its CPTPP application under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" on Sept. 22, 2021 -- less than a week after China
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Monday announced light shows and themed traffic lights to welcome fans of South Korean pop group Twice to the port city. The group is to play Kaohsiung on Saturday as part of its “This Is For” world tour. It would be the group’s first performance in Taiwan since its debut 10 years ago. The all-female group consists of five South Koreans, three Japanese and Tainan’s Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜), the first Taiwan-born and raised member of a South Korean girl group. To promote the group’s arrival, the city has been holding a series of events, including a pop-up
TEMPORAL/SPIRITUAL: Beijing’s claim that the next Buddhist leader must come from China is a heavy-handed political maneuver that will fall flat-faced, experts said China’s requirement that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation to be born in China and approved by Beijing has drawn criticism, with experts at a forum in Taipei yesterday saying that if Beijing were to put forth its own Dalai Lama, the person would not be recognized by the Tibetan Buddhist community. The experts made a remarks at the two-day forum hosted by the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama titled: “The Snow Land Forum: Finding Common Ground on Tibet.” China says it has the right to determine the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation, as it claims sovereignty over Tibet since ancient times,
RSS