Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that as neither unification with China nor independence are likely in the near future, Taiwan needs a "new" paradigm -- maintaining the status quo.
In an article entitled "Taiwan's Pragmatic Path" published in the Asian Wall Street Journal, Ma fleshed out the KMT's stance on the unification-independence controversy and the long-stalled arms procurement bill.
"The KMT believes that neither unification nor independence is likely for Taiwan in the foreseeable future and that therefore the status quo should be maintained. The island's [sic] future should be determined by its people, rather than the government," he wrote.
Ma criticized President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent Lunar New Year's Day message, in which Chen advocated abolishing the unification guidelines and pushing for another round of constitutional amendments. Ma said that Taiwan should not "rock the boat in regional waters."
"We should instead seek to advance the security and stability of the area," he said. "Taiwan, while it seeks to defuse tensions across the Taiwan Strait, should also demonstrate its determination to protect itself by maintaining adequate defensive capabilities."
In regard to the arms procurement bill, Ma called on all parties to refrain from making politically charged accusations.
"We should deal with it by weighing up four factors -- cross-strait relations, Taiwan's defensive needs, its financial capability and public opinion," he said.
In conclusion, Ma said that as opportunity and challenges exist side by side, the voyage ahead for Taiwan would be smoother and swifter with more "democracy, openness and pragmatism."
Earlier yesterday, Ma said that the KMT would not pass the arms procurement budget in April, and that after his party's version of the bill is released sometime later this month or in March, the KMT would start negotiations with other parties in the pan-blue alliance before holding discussions with the Democratic Progressive Party.
Asked to comment on his article, Ma said it had been aimed at promoting KMT policies.
"The KMT has insisted on a middle-of-the-road cross-strait policy, and I am hoping that the policy can be understood more internationally," he said after presiding over a Taipei municipal meeting.
Ma is expected to continue promoting the KMT's stance on cross-strait affairs during a 13-day trip to five European countries. Ma left Taiwan late last night to start his trip, which will see him visit Italy, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland and Belgium. He is scheduled to deliver a lecture on cross-strait relations at the London School of Economics on Monday.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and