Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said that nothing would be “nonnegotiable” between Taiwan and China once certain conditions are met.
Wang made the remarks at a news conference about a Taiwanese film company’s documentary on a father-son pair of Qing Dynasty artist-officials, Dong Bangda (董邦達) and Dong Gao (董誥).
Chinese culture is what connects the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Wang said, calling for more cultural exchanges, creating more consensuses and increased collaboration.
Photo: Fang Pin-Chao Taipei Times
“When one day the political systems of the two sides are compatible, the GDP per capita comparable, the social and public values similar, and religious freedom guaranteed, the heart of the two sides of the Strait could be melded together and nothing would be nonnegotiable then,” the speaker said.
Meanwhile, asked if he would run in next year’s presidential election for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or instead run for legislative office in Changhua County as has been rumored, Wang called the rumor “nonsense,” but refused to give a definitive answer about the presidential race.
He said a conclusion “would surely be out before May 16,” the deadline for picking up a KMT presidential primary application.
Photo: Fang Pin-Chao, Taipei Times
In related news, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus stalled the legislature with 200 agenda-changing motions in a bid to derail a KMT plan related to draft bills for an oversight mechanism for cross-strait agreements.
The KMT reportedly aims to pass a reconsideration motion of referring the bills to the Internal Administration Committee for review.
If the reconsideration had been put to a floor vote yesterday as the KMT caucus had planned, it likely would have been passed, given the KMT’s legislative majority.
The party could then have had the committee’s convener, KMT Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠), preside over the review of the oversight bills.
Chang helped trigger the Sunflower movement in March last year by ramming the cross-strait service trade agreement through the committee and to the legislative floor in just 30 seconds.
The TSU launched its stalling campaign after cross-party negotiations broke down in the morning.
KMT deputy caucus whip Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) said the KMT conceded by allowing KMT Legislator Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥) to chair the review instead of Chang.
However, TSU lawmakers said there should be a review without the KMT playing a presiding role in the committee.
They then proposed 200 motions to change the legislative agenda.
Each motion requires at least a few minutes to be put to a floor vote. When the floor meeting adjourned at about 4pm, only 61 of the motions had been voted upon.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old