Candidates for the National Assembly cruised Taiwan's streets yesterday to solicit votes ahead of a poll on constitutional reform.
The election on Saturday will select party-affiliated deputies to the National Assembly that will vote on proposed constitutional changes aimed at halving the number of seats in the legislature and replacing an unwieldy proportional representation system.
The assembly will also vote on whether the nation can hold referendums to approve future constitutional changes -- a controversial issue because China fears Taiwan could use such plebiscites to change the nation's political status and declare formal independence.
However, Taiwan's two largest political parties support the proposed constitutional changes, which will likely be approved, regardless of which party triumphs in Saturday's election.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has said his party will only use referendums to approve constitutional amendments to streamline the political system, and will not seek to change the nation's status.
Saturday's vote follows last week's historic visits to China by KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) -- including a groundbreaking meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) -- and James Soong (宋楚瑜), chairman of the People First Party, which also supports unification.
Under the proposed reforms to streamline the legislature, a first-past-the-post voting system would be introduced in 2008, under which only two candidates per constituency would be elected -- one by popular vote and the other by party affiliation.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation