Taiwan has never been, and will never be, any part of China, regardless what it claims in its "anti-secession law," Vice President Annette Lu (
"Based on historical facts, Taiwan has never been -- in the past or in the future -- any part of China. No matter what China is to stipulate in the `anti-secession law,' it won't change this fact," Lu said.
Beijing's intention to make such a law can only make the international community understand that China's bullying of Taiwan will have no end, according to Lu.
The vice president made the remarks yesterday while answering reporters' questions regarding Beijing's plan to pass legislation of a law allegedly aimed to serve as China's legal claim to Taiwan.
China has a Constitution, and Taiwan has one too, Lu said.
"They have their renminbi, while we have our New Taiwan dollar and Taiwan's young men don't take national service in China. With an `anti-secession law,' even if China could claim sovereignty over Tibet or Xinjiang, they can't claim it over Taiwan," Lu said.
Citing Beijing's so-called "three-phrase war," namely a media war, psychological war and legal war against Taiwan, China is now beginning the third phrase of this war, according to Lu.
"The government and the opposition must unite and cooperate," Lu said, adding, "There is only one Taiwan, and we should work together to love this land."
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
"The intention to make an anti-secession law is unnecessary and unwise," Ma said.
"President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) campaign language during the legislative elections might have gone too far, and might have worsened cross-strait tensions. But China's plan to make such a law also seems to be going too far," he said.
China's intended legislation shows it has lost patience with Taiwan, Ma said .
Since China has never been a country to follow the rule of law, it does not need a law if it really wants to invade Taiwan, he added.
"Therefore, such a law is not necessary," Ma also said.
The front pages of state-run Chinese newspapers carried the story about the leadership's plan to draft the law yesterday, but it did not refer to Taiwan specifically.
China had earlier floated a "reunification" law, rather than an "anti-secession" law. Xinhua news agency did not explain the change.
Some Taiwanese analysts said the new draft of the law was passive in nature, and could be viewed legally obliging the Communist Party to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence. They also said it did not necessarily mean Beijing would push urgently for unification.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Work on the second segment, from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2039, the railway bureau said Planned high-speed rail (HSR) extensions would blanket Taiwan proper in four 90-minute commute blocs to facilitate regional economic and livelihood integration, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said in an interview published yesterday. A project to extend the high-speed rail from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝) is the first part of the bureau’s greater plan to expand rail coverage, he told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). The bureau’s long-term plan is to build a loop to circle Taiwan proper that would consist of four sections running from Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to
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