The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) discussed a proposal yesterday that the cross-strait dispute over sovereignty be shelved for 50 years.
The seven-point proposal, entitled "Democracy, Peace, New Taiwan: Our Basic Stance," was aired during a central standing committee meeting.
It covers the party's basic stance on national identity and reiterates the party's resistance to any change of the the country's official name and opposition to Beijing's "one country, two systems" formula.
The other points cover cross-strait relations, the Constitution, democracy, economic development, social welfare and ethnic harmony.
KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (
On cross-strait relations, the proposal suggests that Taiwan and China shelve the dispute over sovereignty for 50 years so that the arms race can be ended.
The proposal also suggests that both sides open direct air and shipping links and expand the bases of trade exchange. Both sides could then sign a free trade agreement so that China could offer an opportunity to Taiwan, instead of posing a threat, it says.
The proposal says that cross-strait development should start with economic integration and then gradually expand to the political arena.
The process might take 50 years or even more than 100 years, and may not be witnessed by this generation, but would leave the next generation with a mutually cooperative and beneficial cross-strait relationship, it says.
It also says that the KMT policy on cross-strait relations had originally enjoyed public trust, but that the Democratic Progressive Party twisted the policy into a betrayal of Taiwan, smearing its goodwill and open attitude into one that "kowtowed to Beijing."
‘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
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