The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday lauded the Scottish independence referendum as a triumph of democratic values, while the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said that Taiwan may lose its independence if it relies too much on China economically.
“The DPP admires the Scottish people for expressing their desire for independence through voting, as well as the British government for the tolerance and respect that it demonstrated to the right to self-determination of the Scots along the way,” DPP spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said.
“The entire referendum process is a victory for the Scottish people and for all nations and peoples in the Commonwealth; more importantly, it is a triumph of democratic values,” she added.
She said that by trying to persuade voters through rational debates, both supporters and opponents to the independence proposals have set an example for all people, including Taiwanese.
“The DPP has always insisted that the future of Taiwan should be decided by its 23 million people,” she said. “What Scotland demonstrates could serve as an inspiration for deepening Taiwan’s democracy.”
On the other hand, TSU Policy Committee chairman Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信), who once lived in the UK, cited the result as an example and warned Taiwanese against the risk of economic over-dependence.
“More people voted against independence because Scotland depends deeply on the UK in banking, insurance, sea transportation and trade, making most Scots afraid of seceding from the UK,” Hsu Chung-hsin said. “Taiwan might face the same dilemma if it continues to deepen its economic dependence on China.”
He said that Scotland has been economically marginalized, since most of the UK’s industrial developments are concentrated in cities in England, such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham and Manchester.
“The British government grants pensions totaling up to ￡1,400 [US$2,200] per year to each Scot,” he said. “The pensions would be canceled if Scotland becomes independent.”
“At the moment, 40 percent of exports from Taiwan go to China, while 80 percent of Taiwan’s overseas investments are in China. If we continue to push cross-strait economic integration, we will be further economically locked into China,” Hsu Chung-hsin said. “That would certainly have an impact on Taiwan’s political future and independence.”
Separately yesterday, when commenting on the referendum in Scotland, officials from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said they respected the outcome of the independence vote, while again making a distinction between the vote there and the situation across the Taiwan Strait.
“The Republic of China on Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation and the future of Taiwan can only be decided by its 23 million residents, rather than all Chinese, including those who live in mainland China,” Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said.
The significance of the referendum in Scotland is completely different from the case of a possible referendum on Taiwan’s independence, he told legislators.
The vote was held to decide whether Scotland, which has been a part of the UK, should become a separate country, Jiang said.
“This is not the same as the case we have here,” he said.
That about 55 percent of Scottish voters rejected independence means that the outcome would have a much smaller impact on Taiwan’s relationship with the UK and the EU than if the result had gone the other way, he added.
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) said he respected the decision of the Scottish voters and said that Taiwan is prepared to continue to develop cooperative relations with both the UK and Scotland.
Additional reporting by CNA
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
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
RSS