Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) yesterday aimed to set the historical record straight while introducing his new book, which examines treaties that had a "strong influence" on Taiwan.
"Due to political factors, Taiwan's history has constantly been twisted. Last week, many ridiculous comments about Taiwan were made during former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Chinese President Hu Jintao's (胡錦濤) conversations. As a result, I had to do something," Yao said.
Yao made the remarks during a presentation to introduce his book. The book, published in Chinese, with its title loosely translated as Record of Treaties concerning Taiwan, introduced four treaties that influenced Taiwan: the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the Treaty of San Francisco, the Japanese Peace Treaty and the US-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty.
The date for yesterday's presentation was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in Japan on April 17, 1895. In the treaty, the Qing Dynasty ceded Taiwan to Japan.
The Treaty of San Francisco was signed by 48 countries in San Francisco on Sept. 8, 1951. Neither the Republic of China (ROC) or the People's Republic of China were invited to that conference, hence neither signed that treaty.
The Japanese Peace Treaty was signed in Taipei on April 28, 1952. It was a "sub-treaty" of the Treaty of San Francisco, and its intent was to ask Japan to recognize the ROC as the only legal Chinese government in the world.
The US-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty was signed on Dec. 2, 1954 and committed the US to helping defend Taiwan.
Yao said many politicians have twisted history by using "weird political language to deceive the public."
"However, facts are facts and history shall not be changed," Yao said, adding that the illustration of these four treaties affirmed the fact that Taiwan is an independent, sovereign country.
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
Commuters in Taipei picked their way through debris and navigated disrupted transit schedules this morning on their way to work and school, as the city was still working to clear the streets in the aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey. By 11pm yesterday, there were estimated 2,000 trees down in the city, as well as 390 reports of infrastructure damage, 318 reports of building damage and 307 reports of fallen signs, the Taipei Public Works Department said. Workers were mobilized late last night to clear the debris as soon as possible, the department said. However, as of this morning, many people were leaving messages
A Canadian dental assistant was recently indicted by prosecutors after she was caught in August trying to smuggle 32kg of marijuana into Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Aug. 4 after arriving on a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧), a squad chief in the Aviation Police Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, told reporters. Customs officials noticed irregularities when the woman’s two suitcases passed through X-ray baggage scanners, Chang said. Upon searching them, officers discovered 32.61kg of marijuana, which local media outlets estimated to have a market value of more than NT$50 million (US$1.56
FATALITIES: The storm claimed at least two lives — a female passenger in a truck that was struck by a falling tree and a man who was hit by a utility pole Workers cleared fallen trees and shop owners swept up debris yesterday after one of the biggest typhoons to hit the nation in decades claimed at least two lives. Typhoon Kong-rey was packing winds of 184kph when it slammed into eastern Taiwan on Thursday, uprooting trees, triggering floods and landslides, and knocking out power as it swept across the nation. A 56-year-old female foreign national died from her injuries after the small truck she was in was struck by a falling tree on Provincial Highway 14A early on Thursday. The second death was reported at 8pm in Taipei on Thursday after a 48-year-old man
RSS