Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other and only Taiwanese can decide on the nation’s future, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.
The party issued the remarks following former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平) proposal of a new cross-strait formula based on “separate governance without division” between Taiwan and China.
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Wang on Sunday said that “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other in terms of governance, but share sovereignty without division.”
Photo: Taipei Times
His proposal acknowledges the reality that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are governed separately, while “pragmatically” keeping avenues open for fostering peaceful relations, Wang said.
DPP China Affairs Director Wu Jun-zhi (吳峻鋕) yesterday said that Taiwanese are determined to safeguard the nation’s democracy and freedom.
“The DPP supports having dialogue with China based on mutual respect and dignity, through healthy and orderly engagement,” he said. “When Beijing shows willingness to stop intimidation and recognizes the existence of Republic of China [ROC, Taiwan], the two sides can immediately start to have dialogue.”
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said his party supported cross-strait exchanges and “welcomes anyone making contributions or efforts on behalf of cross-strait peace.”
Wang’s proposal is intended to “promote cross-strait peace — to allow for cross-strait exchanges and dialogue based on existing foundations, and we support and approve of that,” he said.
Separately, the Mainland Affairs Council yesterday said that the nation’s cross-strait narrative must ensure Taiwan’s free and democratic system, and recognize the ROC’s existence.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday said that differentiating “governance” and “sovereignty” can easily cause terminological confusion.
President William Lai’s (賴清德) “four pillars of peace” action plan and “four commitments” have clearly stated Taiwan’s stance, Lin said.
The “four commitments” were first mentioned by former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in her National Day Address in 2021. They include “a free and democratic constitutional system,” “the ROC and the People’s Republic of China should not be subordinate to each other,” “resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty,” and “the future of the ROC must be decided according to the will of Taiwanese.”
Lai proposed the “four pillars of peace” action plan earlier this year which involves strengthening self-defense, enhancing economic security, deepening democratic ties and engaging in dialogue.
Additional reporting by Lee I-chia and CNA
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
RSS