A think tank forum held between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) last week was not political, but focused on helping Taiwanese businesses, KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday.
Hsiao, alongside National Policy Foundation deputy chairman Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源), last week visited Beijing to attend the forum, where they on Wednesday met with Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧).
The forum was a platform for Taiwanese industry experts and academics to exchange views with Chinese representatives from academia, industry and the government on issues such as disaster prevention, tourism, medicine, industry, carbon reduction and artificial intelligence, Hsiao said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The discussions focused on renewable energy, disaster prevention, emerging industries, and health and medicine collaboration, Lee said.
He was responding to Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) reports that Wang said that “the foundation for a peace framework must be predicated on eventual Chinese unification.”
Lee said no hidden issues or agendas were discussed at the forum.
Not a word at the event was related to political issues, Hsiao said, adding that the media was reporting false narratives to foster the image that the KMT is on the side of the CCP.
Commenting on whether a possible meeting between KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would affect a rumored meeting between Xi and US President Donald Trump in April, Hsiao said he did not think there is anyone in the world who could affect the topics discussed between the US and China.
Cheng’s possible visit to China is not related to the Trump-Xi meeting, he said, adding that there is no information on when the chairwoman’s trip would occur, but the party would issue statements when there is more information.
Asked whether the party was blocking the special defense budget to improve its chances of facilitating a Cheng-Xi meeting or whether the KMT would be amenable to talks after Cheng returns from a visit to the US, Hsiao said a Cheng-Xi meeting would play no part in the party’s decision to delay the proposal.
The KMT’s stance on the defense budget is that arms purchases must be reasonable, he said.
A visit to China was backed by popular opinion, he said, citing reports last year showing that 88 percent of polled respondents said cross-strait dialogue must be maintained, and 75 percent of Democratic Progressive Party supporters said that a complete breakdown in dialogue cannot be allowed.
Hsiao also cited a poll published last year in the Chinese-language Global Views Monthly that showed that 63.9 percent of respondents said they did not wish to fight in a war, nor did they wish for their family to fight.
From the same poll, 53.9 percent said the government should maintain the “status quo,” he added.
Additional reporting by Liu Wan-lin
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS