Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday proposed to promulgate an "anti-annexation law" in a bid to counter China's intended "anti-secession" legislation.
According to the draft bill, any move that could disturb Taiwan's status quo has to be decided by Taiwan's 23 million people through a vote, DPP Legislator Trong Tsai (蔡同榮) said, and the spirit of anti-annexation must be enshrined in the long-discussed new constitution that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has promoted.
"Legislation is not a good way to counter China. But since China is making a move, Taiwan is forced to respond. Before a more efficient way is found, Taiwan should make the whole world understand Taiwan's viewpoint on China's intended annexation through making a law," DPP Legislator Lee Ming-hsien (
Tsai also proposed to work with US congressmen to revise the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
"The revised TRA should stipulate that the US will explore all means to help defend Taiwan's sovereign and territorial integrity if Taiwan's status quo is endangered without a legal process of referendum by Taiwan's 23 million people," Tsai said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will launch an international publicity drive against China's plan to introduce an anti-secession law targeting Taiwan, ministry spokes-person Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said yesterday.
Lu said the ministry will call the international community's attention to Beijing's move, which he said will severely upset peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Lu said the law that Beijing proposed is obviously aimed at building a legal basis for China's plans to invade Taiwan, and he urged the international community to step in to stop the plot against the nation.
ENDEAVOR MANTA: The ship is programmed to automatically return to its designated home port and would self-destruct if seized by another party The Endeavor Manta, Taiwan’s first military-specification uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) tailor-made to operate in the Taiwan Strait in a bid to bolster the nation’s asymmetric combat capabilities made its first appearance at Kaohsiung’s Singda Harbor yesterday. Taking inspiration from Ukraine’s navy, which is using USVs to force Russia’s Black Sea fleet to take shelter within its own ports, CSBC Taiwan (台灣國際造船) established a research and development unit on USVs last year, CSBC chairman Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘) said. With the exception of the satellite guidance system and the outboard motors — which were purchased from foreign companies that were not affiliated with Chinese-funded
PERMIT REVOKED: The influencer at a news conference said the National Immigration Agency was infringing on human rights and persecuting Chinese spouses Chinese influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣) yesterday evening voluntarily left Taiwan, despite saying yesterday morning that she had “no intention” of leaving after her residence permit was revoked over her comments on Taiwan being “unified” with China by military force. The Ministry of the Interior yesterday had said that it could forcibly deport the influencer at midnight, but was considering taking a more flexible approach and beginning procedures this morning. The influencer, whose given name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), departed on a 8:45pm flight from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) to Fuzhou, China. Liu held a news conference at the airport at 7pm,
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
RSS