President Chen Shui-bian (
Speaking in response to recent comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage that the US is not legally bound to defend Taiwan in the case of a cross-strait war, KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (
The US already issued a previous warning to Taiwan, when US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in October media interviews that Taiwan was not a sovereign nation, Chang said.
The current warning from Armitage, coming on the heels of the increased pressure Taiwan is facing from China with its recently-proposed anti-secession bill, indicates that the US is trying to distance itself from Taiwan, said Chang, in a move which is disadvantageous to Taiwan.
During a television interview Monday, Armitage identified Taiwan as the biggest landmine in US-China relations. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) does not require the US to defend Taiwan in case of Chinese military action, Armitage said in the interview, adding that the act only commits Washington to sell defensive arms to Taiwan and maintain sufficient force to deter a Chinese attack.
At the press conference yesterday, Chang urged the Chen administration to acknowledge the warning by the US and curtail pro-independence activities.
"If the government can verify, and even tell the people that the situation is serious, the US will feel their warning to us has had its intended effect. If the government continues saying there's nothing wrong, that the US is only communicating China's words, then the US will feel that its words haven't had any effect. Its next words might be even blunter, even clearer, and wound Taiwan even more deeply," Chang said yesterday.
The current situation proves that the KMT's positions on cross-strait relations and sovereignty issues have been right all along, added Chang yesterday.
In comparison with the DPP, which during the run-up to the legislative elections advocated changes to Taiwan's national title and re-writing the constitution, the KMT has staunchly supported retaining the title of the Republic of China and the retention of the status quo, Chang said.
"We knew at the time what kinds of policies a responsible party should take, and now time has proven that our direction was right," Chang said.
Part of the reason why the US has chosen to make its second warning, said Su Chi (
The first myth, said the former Mainland Affairs Council head at yesterday's press conference, is that China is too busy to wage an attack on Taiwan, due to a number of reasons, such as the 2008 Olympics to be held in Beijing.
The second myth, said Su, is that even should China attack Taiwan, the US will defend Taiwan.
Through these two myths, the Chen administration has been encouraging pan-green supporters not to be afraid, we can work for Taiwan's independence, a new constitution, a rectification of Taiwan's name, Su said.
As a result, China and the United States have a tacit understanding to debunk these two myths and are engaging on a "parallel management" of cross-strait relations, Su said, pointing to Armitage's warning and China's anti-secession bill as elements of the two countries' mutual strategy.
"They are telling the Taiwanese people not to trust Chen, he is lying to you," Su said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS