The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday urged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to clarify the KMT’s stance on cross-strait relations, as KMT presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) has criticized President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) cross-strait policy and appears to be heading in a pro-unification direction.
“Hung seems to be taking a very different view on cross-strait policies from those of Ma and Chu, and actually Taiwanese are still struggling to understand how she actually thinks,” DPP spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) told a news conference at the party’s headquarters in Taipei. “[Cross-strait policy] is a very serious issue and therefore Hung and the KMT are obliged to explain it clearly to the public.”
The deputy legislative speaker has criticized Ma’s “one China with different interpretations” and “no unification, no independence, no use of force” as his main principles in cross-strait relations, saying that such ideas would eventually lead to Taiwanese independence, so she said that the two sides should agree to “one China, same interpretation.”
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
“Hung did not explain what ‘same interpretation’ means, or clearly what she meant by ‘one China,’” Wang said.
He said that while Hung last month said that Taiwan and China are two Chinese governments under “one China,” on Monday she said in an interview that her idea of “one China” is asking the People’s Republic of China to recognize the existence of the Republic of China.
“As a presidential hopeful, Hung should make herself clear about the issue to the people,” Wang said.
As next month’s KMT national congress is set to pass a new political agenda, Wang questioned whether Ma’s “one China with different interpretations,” Chu’s “both sides belong to ‘one China’” or Hung’s proposal of signing a cross-strait peace agreement under “one China, same interpretation” would be written into it.
“Is the KMT going to be switching to the direction of pushing for accelerating cross-strait unification? This is a question that Chu should answer,” Wang said.
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
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
SEA SEARCH: Nine crew members of a cargo ship had taken to the water after the vessel sunk off the southern coast, with a rescue effort under way, officials said The strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years yesterday killed three people and flooded parts of the nation’s second-biggest city, while rescuers were searching for nine sailors after their cargo ship sank in the storm. Typhoon Gaemi transformed streets in Kaohsiung into rivers, with some households flooded. Offices and schools were closed for the second consecutive day, with thousands of people evacuated. Three people died and 380 were injured due to strong winds and torrential rainfall brought by Typhoon Gaemi, the Central Emergency Response Center said. The typhoon made landfall in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳) at midnight yesterday and departed Taiwan