A resolution passed by the Australian Senate praising “warming relations” between Taiwan and China was strongly condemned by the Chinese ambassador in Canberra on the grounds that it violated Beijing’s “one China” principle.
The motion, passed in June, states that the upper house “welcomes the signing of various bilateral agreements between China and Taiwan ... since May 2008,” in reference to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) policies.
The motion also encouraged the two countries to further enhance dialogue, practical cooperation and confidence-building steps, saying that would have “a positive effect on the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region.”
The resolution is believed to be the first time the Australian Senate has offered its opinion on the cross-strait situation in recent years. It came one month after the US Senate introduced a resolution supporting Taiwan’s entry into the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported on Tuesday that the Senate motion had angered Beijing, with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai (章均賽) writing to the Senate president last month to criticize its passage.
“Zhang took particular umbrage with the use of the expression ‘bilateral agreements’ in the resolution,” the report said.
The envoy was quoted as saying in a letter tabled to parliament on Tuesday that it was inappropriate for the democratic body to “comment on the question of Taiwan, an internal affair of China.”
“There is only one China in the world. Both the Mainland (sic) and China [sic] belong to the one and same China,” Zhang wrote.
His comments are further evidence that the Chinese government is still willing to issue strong condemnations on technical matters, including how Taiwan is termed alongside China.
Zhang compared Taiwan-China ties to the relationship between “a state or territory in Australia and the commonwealth,” adding that the Chinese government would eventually solve its “sensitive political, military and security issues” with Taiwan.
“[We will] deal with easier issues first and the thorny ones later,” he said, referring to economic and political issues, the SMH report said. “We will … look for the right time to approach and solve them step by step.”
The newspaper also quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) as saying that he was delighted with the motion, adding that Taiwan would continue to “do its utmost to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Beijing.”
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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