President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said the confrontation between North and South Korea highlighted the importance of Taiwan promoting a peaceful cross-strait relationship with China.
Ma expressed concern about the tensions between the two nations, while touting his government’s efforts to improve relations with China.
“We are concerned about the tensions in the region. On the other hand, we think our goal of improving cross-strait relations is correct,” Ma said while meeting a European Parliament delegation led by Germany’s Michael Gahler at the Presidential Office.
Tensions between the two Koreas accelerated after the South blamed the North for a March 26 torpedo strike that sank the warship Cheonan, killing 46 sailors.
The US has thrown its full support behind Seoul’s moves and said the two nation’s are planning two major military exercises off the Korean Peninsula in a display of force intended to deter future aggression by the North.
China, on the other hand, has not backed the strong response from the US, Japan and South Korea, saying only that the North should show restraint.
Ma yesterday said the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait have been sources of tension in East Asia. The tensions across the strait have been greatly reduced since his administration worked to improve relations with China, he said.
“My administration will continue its efforts to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We will replace confrontation with negotiations and seek reconciliation,” he said.
Presidential Office Spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) later added that the government would be alert to the situation on the Korean Peninsula and take related measures if necessary.
Saying that Taiwan maintains close relations with Europe, Ma also told his European guests yesterday that over the past two years the EU has stated 11 times its support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and activities.
He expressed hope that the EU would grant visa-waiver status to Taiwanese and that trade ties becould be strengthened by signing a Taiwan-EU trade enhancement measures agreement.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS