There is no need for the Republic of China (ROC), an independent country, to conduct an independence referendum, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday said in response to a lawmaker’s question about Scotland’s referendum.
During a question-and-answer session in the legislature, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) asked Jiang about the possible impact of the Scottish referendum tomorrow.
Jiang first replied generally, saying that the government is closely monitoring the possible impact, such as the potential political and economic changes to the UK and the rest of Europe.
When asked whether Taiwan’s national interests would be affected, the premier said the immediate effects of a “yes” vote would be minimal, but “if Scotland becomes an independent country, the bilateral relationship [with the UK] might require some adjustment.”
Chiu then asked if Jiang, as Cabinet head, was “inspired” by the Scottish referendum with respect to cross-strait relations and the government’s China policies.
“Is it possible that Taiwan’s ‘status quo’ can be maintained forever? Under what conditions would Taiwan’s ‘status quo’ be altered?” Chiu said. “How long can the ‘status quo’ be maintained by the principles of ‘no independence, no unification and no use of force,’ or the so-called ‘interim agreement?’”
The “status quo” could be changed in two ways, Chiu said.
“One is by our initiative, which is out of an idea of deciding our own nation’s future, and the other is to have it changed passively, which could happen if Taiwan could no longer handle a tilt in the balance of power,” he said.
Jiang denied that there was a basis for comparison between Taiwan and the Scottish referendum.
“The relationship between Scotland and the UK and that between the ROC-Taiwan and [China] are totally different. The ROC is an independent country, so the question of announcing independence via referendum is simply a nonstarter,” Jiang said.
He also rejected the possibility of a referendum calling for “unification” with China, reiterating that maintaining the “status quo” is the government’s stance.
“Any kind of referendum that aims to change the ‘status quo’ would be unwise,” Jiang said. “Keeping the ROC on Taiwan as an independent, sovereign state is our topmost priority. Any idea diverging from this would be at odds with the Constitution and against our citizens’ interests.”
The Taipei MRT is open all night tonight following New Year’s Eve festivities, and is offering free rides from nearby Green Line stations. Taipei’s 2025 New Year’s Eve celebrations kick off at Taipei City Hall Square tonight, with performances from the boy band Energy, the South Korean girl group Apink, and singers Gigi Leung (梁詠琪) and Faith Yang (楊乃文). Taipei 101’s annual New Year’s firework display follows at midnight, themed around Taiwan’s Premier12 baseball championship. Estimates say there will be about 200,000 people in attendance, which is more than usual as this year’s celebrations overlap with A-mei’s (張惠妹) concert at Taipei Dome. There are
LOOKING FOR WHEELS: The military is seeking 8x8 single-chassis vehicles to test the new missile and potentially replace the nation’s existing launch vehicles, the source said Taiwan is developing a hypersonic missile based on the Ching Tien (擎天) supersonic cruise missile, and a Czech-made truck has been tentatively selected as its launch vehicle, a source said yesterday. The Ching Tien, formerly known as Yun Feng (雲峰, “Cloud Peak”), is a domestically developed missile with a range of 1,200km to 2,000km being deployed in casemate-type positions as of last month, an official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The hypersonic missile to be derived from the Ching Tien would feature improved range and a mobile launch platform, while the latter would most likely be a 12x12 single chassis
UP AND DOWN: The route would include a 16.4km underground section from Zuoying to Fongshan and a 9.5km elevated part from Fongshan to Pingtung Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday confirmed a project to extend the high-speed rail (HSR) to Pingtung County through Kaohsiung. Cho made the announcement at a ceremony commemorating the completion of a dome at Kaohsiung Main Station. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications approved the HSR expansion in 2019 using a route that branches off a line from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying District (左營). The project was ultimately delayed due to a lack of support for the route. The Zuoying route would have trains stop at the Zuoying Station and return to a junction before traveling southward to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝).
Parts of the nation, including in the south, could experience temperatures as low as 7°C early tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. A strong continental cold air mass coupled with the effect of radiative cooling would bring cold weather to several northern cities and counties, and could even affect areas as far south as Tainan early tomorrow, the CWA said. Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties would experience temperatures below 10°C until this evening, according to cold surge advisories issued by the weather agency. The weather across the nation is forecast to remain
RSS