A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday.
It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said.
The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Friday last week, Tien said.
Photo: CNA
A Chinese foreign ministry statement after the meeting said that “Singapore fully understands the Chinese government’s position on the Taiwan question, opposes any form of Taiwan independence, and firmly abides by the one China principle.”
However, a separate statement issued by the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the meeting said that “Singapore has a clear and consistent one China policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence.”
The difference between the two statements and Beijing replacing the phrase “one China policy” with “one China principle” was further proof of the PRC’s “disinformation warfare,” Tien said.
Earlier, lawmakers at a legislative session asked why Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement on Saturday last week criticizing Beijing’s statement on the Xi-Wong meeting.
China’s statement concerning Taiwan was “unmistakably false,” the MOFA said.
Chang Ching (張競), a retired navy captain and a Taipei-based research fellow with the Society for Strategic Studies, ROC think tank, accused the MOFA of mischaracterizing the Singapore statement.
Singapore wrote that it followed “one China” and “opposed Taiwan independence,” Chang said, prompting lawmakers’ questions.
“The one China principle” is the position held by the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party that there is only one sovereign state under the name China, with the PRC serving as the sole legitimate government of that China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of that China.
Some countries that have diplomatic ties with the PRC have their own versions of a “one China” policy instead of following Beijing’s “one China principle.”
The “policies” generally do not overtly accept that Taiwan is a part of China, as is the case with the “principle.”
For example, the US says its “one China” policy is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances.”
“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the US Department of State says on its Web site.
Singapore’s cross-strait policy is similar to that of the US, with Singapore’s leaders saying that the city-state maintains a “one China” policy and opposes Taiwanese independence.
It has ambiguous wording to describe its policy, except for a joint statement released by Singapore and the PRC in April 2000.
“Singapore recognizes that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China. The government of the Republic of Singapore recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China,” the statement said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS