The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will not revise the “Taiwan independence clause” in its party charter, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said while reiterating that Taiwan’s democracy will remain a beacon of hope for the people of Hong Kong and China.
Su made the remarks in response to a question from a Chinese student during a question-and-answer session after his talk on the future responsibilities of the DPP at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies on Friday.
The comment also marked the first straight-forward response from Su regarding the party’s “Taiwan independence clause” after recent debate on the clause within the party in which DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) suggested that the clause be frozen because it had already done its part in the party’s history.
The Chinese student in the audience said that from his understanding, Taiwan was a sovereign nation and he asked whether there was a possibility that the DPP could amend its “Taiwan independence clause” to promote democracy in all the regions of the “greater zhonghua culture” (大中華文化).
Stating that the party would not amend the clause, Su said that the most important thing for Taiwan, as a sovereign country, is to develop itself, rather than shouting pro-independence slogans.
“It’s akin to shouting: ‘I am a male’ when I already am, or wondering if I am a male simply because others do not think so,” Su said. “The most important thing is to have confidence in ourselves.”
In his talk, Su emphasized that “if Taiwan can establish a democracy, so can you” in reference to China, and cited the many Taiwanese who had gone abroad in the Martial Law period to experience democracy in its many forms.
He said many Chinese are today doing the same, namely going abroad, and “we believe that they can successfully take what they learn abroad back to China.”
Su said China may not like Taiwan’s style of democracy and may be put off due to the constant fights in the Legislative Yuan.
However, he added: “You [China] can invent a better democracy and we will respect that. At least we [Taiwan] are not like some one-party countries where the second-most powerful person suddenly disappears, and we don’t know if he’s been killed by machine guns or eaten by dogs, or where the richest man suddenly has all his property taken. Such a thing would not happen in Taiwan.”
“Taiwan stands on the front lines of China’s expansion, and Taiwan is in essence ‘the canary in the coal mine’ and can serve as an example to other countries that may have some disputes with China,” he added.
“We also understand that democratic Taiwan, although small, has become a source of hope for Chinese and Hong Kong democrats and we have responsibilities to them, too,” he said. “We stand ready to defend our democracy, and we will not give in. Here I would like to copy Winston Churchill, who said in October 1941: ‘Never give in, never, never, never.’”
‘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
RSS