Beijing’s suppression of Taiwan is unfavorable to cross-strait relations and runs counter to China’s goal of becoming a respected nation, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Friday.
Tsai was commenting on an incident in which Taiwan-based bakery cafe chain 85°C (85度C) was boycotted and labeled a pro-Taiwan independence company by Chinese netizens after Tsai visited one of its stores in Los Angeles during a transit stop on Sunday last week.
The social media uproar forced the company to issue a statement expressing support for the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Photo: CNA
However, netizens in Taiwan also threatened to boycott the company, expressing anger at the statement.
The “1992 consensus” is a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000. It refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Tsai on Friday described the incident as “regrettable” and unhelpful to the development of cross-strait relations, saying that the company has been forced to take a political stand and has failed to please either side.
In the face of such a situation, Taiwanese should not point fingers at each other, but should stand more united for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, she said.
At a time when China is hoping to become a respected nation and a positive force to lead regional development, it needs to create more amicable interactions and build more mutual trust in the region, including across the Taiwan Strait, she said.
However, Beijing’s actions to suppress Taiwan are not something that a responsible country should be doing, she added.
“China should think carefully about whether what it is doing now is going against its goal,” Tsai said.
Belize is the second leg of Tsai’s trip, which has already taken her to Paraguay, where she attended the inauguration of Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez.
Tsai yesterday was to leave Belize for Houston, Texas, where she was to make a 27-hour stopover before returning to Taiwan.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS