The Presidential Office yesterday denied that there have been any secret envoys between President Chen Shui-bian's (
"President Chen showed a note (a message from a top Chinese official) during a live TV interview on Sunday to let the people of Taiwan know that he was sincere about being willing to react to Beijing leaders," said Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (
"However, Beijing has repeatedly ignored President Chen's goodwill and would rather choose to increase [its] military threats against Taiwan," Huang said.
In the interview on Formosa TV, Chen reaffirmed that his administration had tried to improve cross-strait relations ever since he was elected.
He took out a note from a pocket and said that it was a message from an influential Chinese political figure which had been passed onto him by a very important Taiwanese.
Chen then read the note aloud. It said the writer hoped Chen would promise in his inauguration speech to deal with the "one China" issue.
Chen did make such a commitment in his speech, saying, "We believe that the leaders on both sides possess enough wisdom and creativity to jointly deal with the question of a future `one China.'"
Opposition politicians attacked Chen yesterday, accusing him of betraying the country.
They called upon the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to say who the writer of the note was and whether there have been secret envoys to Beijing during Chen's term in office.
The Presidential Office said message and the issue of secret envoys were totally different.
"The message was delivered before President Chen was inaugurated on May 20, 2000. Since taking office, President Chen has never authorized any person to negotiate with representatives from the other side in Taiwan, China or any other third place," Huang said.
"We understand that there have been some business leaders, academics and even some elected representatives shuttling between two sides of the Strait during past three years and therefore some messages have been delivered through their interactions. But such persons, who tried to give us messages [upon their return] were not representing [themselves] as the government's secret envoys," he said.
"The president just wanted to tell the public that he had received a message from Beijing and that he had showed sincerity and effort in reacting to that message," Huang said.
Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu, however, urged the media and the public to focus on China's actions over the next few weeks rather than on old notes.
She said the people should also be aware of outside pressure from China, which is going all-out to affect the presidential election.
"For example, China may add a new article to its Constitution to define Taiwan's referendum as an illegal movement," Lu said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS