President Chen Shui-bian (
"China's intention to enact a unification law is an attempt to destroy the Taiwan Strait's peaceful status quo," said Chen, who arrived in Belize on Thursday for a one-day state visit. Chen made the remark to reporters traveling with him.
During Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's (
"China is not just saying it, but is actually proceeding to do it," Chen said. "As a national leader, I want to caution Taiwan's 23 million people to not to let down their guard on this matter."
"People must not take the issue lightly. Should China actually enact the law it would be too late for regret," he added.
Chen said "the Unification Law is a draft bill attempting to unify [China with] Taiwan. To call it the Unification Law is too polite, for it is in essence a draft bill aimed at using military force. The law attempts to provide a so-called legal basis for the use of force against Taiwan."
"The aim is not just to make Taiwan a special administrative region and to become a second Hong Kong, but if people in Taiwan don't accept this, China could refer to the Unification Law to apply forceful means to attack Taiwan," Chen said. He added that among the bill's 31 provisions, 11 were stipulations on how to attack Taiwan.
Chen said that in his view, "the US' Taiwan Relations Act safeguards peace across the Taiwan Strait, while China's Unification Law undermines the Strait's peaceful status quo."
Noting that the US and Japan were foes 50 years ago and now are partners, Chen asked "Why must Beijing go against Taiwan's 23 million people, who are from the same ethnic background, and disturb cross-strait peace?"
Reiterating the existence of the Republic of China, Chen said that only when China takes the subject seriously can both sides sit down to talk over issues relating to the "one China" policy.
He denied that this warning contradicted his recent announcement to cancel the part of the nation's Han Kuang military drill slated for Sept. 9 as a gesture of good will toward China. This cancellation followed China's apparent cancellation of its own military exercises on Dongshan Island, which some interpreted as a similar expression of good will.
"I have never said that China cancelled its military drill out of good will," Chen said. "What I said then was that some had interpreted it that way, although others had also interpreted it as being a result of infighting among the Beijing leaders or of pressure from the US.
"What I said was that, regardless of what China's intention was in canceling its military drill, Taiwan definitely fosters goodwill and is determined and sincere in pursuing cross-strait cooperation based on the principle of peace," Chen said.
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS