Local pro-Taiwan independence activists yesterday said that China is the troublemaker in the Taiwan Strait and suggested a new Constitution as a response to China's drafting the "Anti-independence Law," a secession law that could provide the legal basis for using force against Taiwan.
"We actually do not have to worry about that too much because it is China's law, not ours. And their law enforcement offices do not have jurisdiction in Taiwan," said Chen Lung-chu (陳隆志), president and CEO of the Taiwan New Century Foundation (台灣新世紀文教基金會).
PHOTO: LIU HSING-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES
According to Chen, China's drafting of the "Anti-independence Law" is to legalize its potential military strikes against Taiwan in the future. However, he also said that China's new law is only effective within its own territory. Taiwan has never been a part of its territory, so no matter what law it uses, it is useless.
Chen made his remarks yesterday at the beginning of a seminar organized by the foundation. He said that the Taiwanese people should actually respect China's establishment of the new law.
"The real relationship between us [Beijing and Taipei] should be to respect each other and help each other. However, unfortunately they [China] never give up using force against Taiwan, although we have more than once tried to show our sincerity," Chen said.
"We are two different countries. Taiwan is an independent country. This is a fact and it is very clear," he continued. Former National Security Council senior advisor and former Taiwan Solidarity Union secretary-general Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強) also echoed Chen's remarks at the seminar.
"What we need is constructive and cooperative thoughts and attitudes, instead of challenging each other like this," Su said.
In the meantime, Su also endorsed the pan-green camp's idea to draft a new Constitution in 2006.
"A new Constitution will protect our country," Su said. "Our current Constitution was drafted in China for Chinese people. However, we do not own that soil any more and we need something for Taiwanese people, not the Chinese."
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS