President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will support the continuing development of cross-strait ties.
Speaking at the party’s 18th Central Advisory Council meeting, Ma reiterated that the improvement of ties with China has had a significant impact on Taiwan and that maintaining bilateral relations would be an indispensa
Though there is still room for debate over how close Taiwan’s relations with China should be, there is no doubt that ties must be developed, he said.
Ma also reiterated his support for using the so-called “1992 consensus” to “uphold basic constitutional principles while developing cross-strait relations.”
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed understanding reached during a meeting in Hong Kong in 1992 between Taiwanese and Chinese representatives, under which both sides acknowledged that there was only one China, with each side having its own interpretation of what “one China” means.
The Democratic Progressive Party insists that the “1992 consensus” does not exist and that it was fabricated by then-Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起).
Su admitted in 2006 that he had created the term in 2000, shortly before then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was inaugurated, with the aim of giving the two sides of the Taiwan Strait a “basis for dialogue.”
Ma said the government had adopted a moderate policy to cope with the financial crisis and economic recession to allow Taiwan’s economy to gradually rebound. He said the country’s economic indicators would move into positive territory in the fourth quarter this year.
Ma highlighted the improved economic prospects created by closer economic ties with China, pointing to an announcement on Saturday by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) that his firm would give each employee a special bonus next month equivalent to half-a-month’s pay.
>
Chang also praised Ma for making an important contribution to normalizing cross-strait ties, which he said could create more opportunities for local businesses.
Earlier yesterday, Ma visited Yilan County to inspect areas affected by Tropical Storm Parma. However, he distanced himself from Yilan County Commissioner Lu Kuo-hua (呂國華) by not showing up at Lu’s campaign office.
Lu has been harshly criticized for his poor performance in dealing with the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot in August.
Next Magazine has also alleged that Lu pocketed NT$22 million (US$680,000) from the contractor of the Yilan Green Expo project. Next claimed that prosecutors had launched an investigation in June last year.
Lu has denied the allegation and vowed to resign and withdraw from the election if he was found guilty.
He also downplayed Ma’s absence yesterday. However, Ma did attend an evening rally for Changhua County Commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), who is also seeking re-election in Dec. 5 elections.
‘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
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
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
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
RSS