Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
They agreed to amend the draft, which originally stated that "the nation should correct its name and write a new constitution as soon as possible," by stipulating that the nation should "accomplish rectification of `Taiwan' as soon as possible and write a new constitution."
The only major difference between the version agreed on yesterday and the previous one lies in the inclusion of the word "Taiwan" when describing the DPP's "name correction" ideal for the nation.
It took the three DPP heavyweights almost three hours to reach a consensus, which became possible only after Chen invited Yu, Hsieh and DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) to the Presidential Office around noon yesterday to coordinate between Yu and Hsieh, who had been at odds over whether the party's final "normal country" resolution should specify "Taiwan" as the title to pursue.
Hsieh's camp had reservations about Yu's proposed amendment to the draft, fearing the move could scare away voters.
Yu had already begun seeking endorsement for the proposed amendment, winning support from the majority of DPP district chapter directors and more than half of all DPP legislators.
Although Yu had offered to resign last Friday following his indictment on charges of corruption and forgery relating to his special allowance fund, on Saturday he said he would stay put until after the party's national congress on Sunday.
Yu's move drew criticism from Hsieh's camp as it suspected Yu might have postponed his resignation to push through his proposed amendment at the congress.
A story published in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) yesterday cited an unidentified Yu aide as saying that during a meeting with Yu and Hsieh on Tuesday, Chen proposed to amend the Aug. 30 draft by stating that "the nation should correct its name to `Taiwan.'"
The proposal, however, was not accepted by Yu, who insisted on his version of the final resolution, which stipulates that "the nation should change its official title to `Taiwan.'"
Approached by the media before the Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, Yu said the consensus lived up to his expectations, adding it would be of great help to the party in the presidential race as it offers DPP supporters an ideal and consolidates the party's ranks.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) accused the DPP yesterday of playing politics.
"Playing with words won't change the fact that the DPP is trying to change the `status quo' and I believe people who long for stability will understand the DPP's purpose," KMT Spokesman Su Jun-pin (
In related developments, the DPP Central Standing Committee passed a non-binding resolution calling on Yu not to resign.
DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
RSS