The five-day visit of former South Korean president Kim Young-sam to Taipei was clouded with confusion and misunderstanding yesterday. Nevertheless, the improvement of bilateral ties was still the focus of Kim's meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (
Kim cancelled his press conference scheduled for 3:30pm at the Grand Hotel yesterday after his delegation and the Presidential Office failed to map out the final wording of a written statement.
"The Presidential Office intended to insert a few words into our drafted press release while we wanted to keep it as simple as possible," said Kang Myeong-sang, director of the Institute of China Relations at Korea's Kyungnam University and a member of the 17-strong delegation.
"That [referring to the press conference] was only what we had hoped for. Whatever we do must be agreed by your Presidential Office," said Chung Jey-moon, a member of Korea's National Assembly from the Grand Nation Party, another member of the delegation.
The drafted statement urged the resumption of direct air links to take place as soon as possible "in order to enhance substantive ties between the two sides."
In the statement, both sides agreed that working-level negotiations between the two governments should commence in the near future.
Such negotiations would discuss substantive as well as technical matters related to the resumption of direct air links.
Kang and Chung denied a report in yesterday's Liberty Times that claimed that former president Lee Teng-hui (
"We haven't contacted him and he hasn't contacted us," said Chung. "We'd like to pay a visit but there is no arrangement."
Seoul severed ties with Taipei in August 1992 under then-president Roh Tae-woo as part of its policy to move closer to Beijing and Moscow so as to gain an upper hand in its relations with Pyongyang.
Eugune Chien (簡又新), deputy secretary-general to the president, also denied a Liberty Times report which alleged that Kim "apologized" to Chen for what he saw as the improper process leading up the severance of ties between the two countries.
Kim met Chen for a second round of bilateral talks yesterday morning, which was followed by a lunch banquet hosted by Chen at the Taipei Guest House. Kim met Chen four times during the past two days.
During the meeting yesterday morning, Chen reportedly said it was "brave" of Kim to visit Taiwan because of pressure from China.
Chung confirmed that Kim had sent prior notice to China's embassy in Seoul about his planned visit to Taipei.
The enhancement of bilateral ties included the restoration of annual meetings between economics ministers from the two sides, to "fight against pressure from China to some extent," as well as the improvement of economic ties, Chen said.
Chen also reiterated that three conditions must be met before direct air links can be resumed, sources said.
Taipei would accept the restoration of air links if Taiwan's "national dignity" is respected, and if "substantial benefits" and "parity" are guaranteed to both sides, Chen said.
Chen made clear the three conditions for the first time during his initial meeting with Kim on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
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
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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