Taiwanese must fully understand that the Beijing authorities' desire to reduce Taiwan to the lowest level of government administration lies at the heart of the possible signing of a Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with Taiwan through the mediation of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
The CEPA that China has introduced in Hong Kong and Macao eliminates import taxes on farm goods and other products from these two places.
"The CEPA is a sweet dessert from Beijing to both Hong Kong and Macao. Now China wants to offer this `gift' to Taiwan through Lien Chan in a bid to send a clear message to Taiwanese people that, in its eyes, the status of Taiwan equals that of Hong Kong and Macau; they are all its local jurisdictions," Lu said.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
"Do all [Taiwan's] 23 million people accept this? If we take this small piece of sweet dessert, we might inadvertently create a `big cake' [of opportunities] for China," she said.
"Taiwan can't be and refuses to be downgraded," she said.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday urged the government to point out that Lien would be in violation of the law if he signs any form of agreement with China.
"Lien Chan has not been legally authorized to sign any pact with China," TSU Secretary-General Chen Chien-ming (
Chen said that Lien should promote Taiwan's democracy and liberty in China than "let Communism destroy the Three Principles of the People."
Chen said that China released several political dissidents because of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit.
"We strongly urge Lien Chan to ask China to improve its bad human-rights record by releasing more political dissidents," Chen said.
He said that the TSU had no comment on Lien's visit to his ancestral home in China.
"However, Lien should never sacrifice the Taiwanese people's common interests," Chen said.
He said that after Lien returns to Taiwan, the TSU would never let him abuse his influence in the Legislative Yuan to promote any agreement he signed with China.
"Please stop dreaming of turning Taiwan's Legislative Yuan into China's legislative bureau," Chen said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
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