The terrorist attacks against the US on Tuesday pose no danger to cross-strait stability, as Beijing is tied up with economic development and a leadership reshuffle, experts said yesterday.
Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Lin Chong-pin (
"In light of its nature and magnitude, the attack constituted an example of virtual warfare," said Lin, a former research fellow with American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank.
Though the senior China policy advisor said it was premature to speculate on the details of the change, he said he believed the US would not assign less weight to Taiwan's strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region.
The terrorist strikes on New York and Washington unnerved many China watchers here, as the US has played a pivotal role in maintaining peace in the region.
Kao Hui (高輝), a political science analyst at Chinese Culture University, urged President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the DPP to drop any idea of reaping gains from the conflict.
"The US will seek to work more closely with China, the world's third-largest power, in its bid to bring the attackers to heel," Kao told a news conference in the legislature yesterday.
Andy Chang (
He doubted the terrorist atrocity would have a sustained impact on cross-strait ties.
"Economic development and a leadership reshuffle will continue to top the agenda of Chinese leaders in the short run," Chang said.
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their