President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that Taiwanese would not accept any political agreement that undermines the nation’s sovereignty or democracy, amid controversy over the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) plan to ink a cross-strait peace treaty with Beijing if it returns to power next year.
Tsai made the remarks during a “hallway chat” with reporters at the Presidential Office Building after meeting with European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group chairman Werner Langen and a delegation of European lawmakers he led on a six-day visit to Taiwan.
During their meeting, the European Parliament members asked Tsai about her views on the signing of a peace agreement with Beijing, an issue that they noticed had been heatedly discussed during their stay in Taiwan, she said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
“I told them that Taiwanese society would not accept any political agreement that could destroy or hurt our national sovereignty, or put an end to Taiwan’s democracy,” Tsai said.
“I also told them that we are a democratic country guided by a clear path, which is that we want freedom, democracy, security and prosperity,” she said, adding that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people.
China’s military ambitions and its refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan are what have been causing regional instability and threatening regional peace, the president said.
Given this situation and Beijing’s plan to force the “one country, two systems” framework upon Taiwan, there would be no equal negotiations, nor would there be real peace, Tsai said.
Taiwanese “will handle this matter discreetly,” she added.
The idea of signing a peace treaty with China was proposed by KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) during an interview on Thursday last week.
It has triggered heated debate among the public and politicians, and has prompted several civic groups to call for tightened regulations governing cross-strait political negotiations and the signing of treaties with Beijing.
The government has also proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) to subject cross-strait political talks to a referendum.
Tsai also downplayed the significance of an opinion poll published by the Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily yesterday, which showed that she could be defeated in most hypothetical scenarios when running for re-election next year.
“Opinion polls are inanimate, but people’s hearts are living,” she said.
Tsai said that people told her the Democratic Progressive Party would not be able to get back on its feet for 20 years when she assumed its leadership in 2008, and when she ran for president in 2016, they also warned her that Taiwan was unlikely to see an economic growth rate of more than 1 percent.
“Nevertheless, we have overcome one barrier after another... There is never a shortage of oppression and we must overcome various challenges with a strong will,” she said.
As president, she is determined to bring Taiwan to the world and ensure that future generations of Taiwanese continue to be allowed to make their decisions freely, which is why she has decided to seek re-election, Tsai said.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two
RSS