Government officials and academics yesterday said they doubted an announcement by China's National People's Congress (NPC) that Beijing has no interest in Taiwan's presidential election.
China "has never interfered with elections in Taiwan and also has no interest in the ongoing election," said NPC spokesman Jiang Enzhu (姜恩柱).
The Chinese parliament's new session opens today in Beijing.
"No matter who comes to power after the election, we hope he can accept the `one China' principle, on which basis the two sides of the Taiwan Strait could hold dialogue and negotiations and realize direct links," Jiang said.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) flatly rejects the "one China" principle, while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) cleaves to that principle, albeit with an interpretation of his own.
"`One China' refers to the Republic of China, which is Taiwan. There is only one China in the world," Lien has said.
Chang Wu-yen (
"The fact is that China has never been so concerned about an election in Taiwan," Chang said.
Beijing's refusal to renounce the possible use of force against Taiwan is one of the factors causing the US to see China as playing a destabilizing role in the Taiwan Strait, Chang said.
Chang was reacting to comments made on Tuesday by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
In a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, Powell said: "We do not support Taiwan's independence, and we oppose moves by either side to unilaterally change the status quo."
"In this regard, we also strongly oppose the use of force or its threat across the Taiwan Strait. China's military build-up opposite Taiwan is destabilizing. We urge a posture more conducive to the peaceful resolution of existing disputes," Powell said.
The US is worried about Beijing's refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, Chang said.
While stating that the US adheres firmly to its "one China" policy, Powell also noted the policy is defined by the three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.
The Mainland Affairs Council , which has called for China not to attempt to influence the election, has been closely observing the preparations for this year's NPC session but made no public comments on its spokesman's remarks.
A council official, however, said it is unlikely the NPC would come out with ground-breaking cross-strait policies during the session because China wants to avoid drawing a strong reaction from Taiwan ahead of the vote.
Chen Chung-hong (陳崇弘), director of the council's department of information and liaison, said recently that Beijing has strengthened cooperation with think tanks in the US and Europe as part of efforts to reform its international image.
China has devoted large sums to promoting its cross-strait policy in the international community and its businesspeople have sought ties with US officials and academics.
"Chinese businesspeople have great influence on other countries' politics and media because of their business strength. Taiwan needs to pay attention to these people," Chen Chung-hong 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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as