The first meeting between Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) and Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) must be transparent and their agenda placed under the Legislative Yuan’s supervision, Taiwan Brain Trust deputy director-general Lai Yi-chung (賴怡忠) said yesterday.
Wang’s visit to China, which begins today, and Zhang’s return visit, which has yet to be scheduled, symbolize the beginning of cross-strait political dialogue, Lai said.
This year is key to the development of relations across the Taiwan Strait as it will see the Wang-Zhang meeting, the 10th round of cross-strait economic talks, the annual forum between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party in August and the second cross-strait peace forum, as well as a possible meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during the APEC summit in Beijing in November, Lai said.
The have been many signs that the Ma administration might attempt to expedite cross-strait political dialogue this year, Lai said.
While Ma repeatedly stressed during his first term that he would adhere to an “economy first, politics later; easy decisions first, tough calls later” strategy in cross-strait affairs, in his second term he has completely changed to a “politics first” outlook, Lai said.
Ma first brought up the idea of a peace accord with China in late 2011, and after winning the 2012 presidential election he chose Wang to head the council and then-council deputy minister Chan Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) to be secretary-general of the Straits Exchange Foundation, Lai said.
It is evident that the Ma administration is preparing for eventual political dialogue with China, Lai said.
This proactive attitude toward cross-strait political dialogue is dangerous, especially since the public has no idea of the exact agenda for the Wang-Zhang meetings, Lai said.
The Legislative Yuan must be on the ball when it comes to Wang’s trip and meetings, Lai said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Brain Trust member Tung Li-wen (董立文) said Ma’s strong push for a meeting with Xi could cost Taiwan dearly.
The Ma administration had constantly backed away from making a stand against China on cross-strait issues, and Ma said that “cross-strait relations are not international affairs,” Tung said.
Ma made the remark during his Double Ten National Day address on Oct. 10 last year.
Taiwan has very few cards to play and China currently has the initiative, Tung said.
Ma’s asking for a meeting with Xi would leave Taiwan unable to refuse China’s requests for political dialogue, he added.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
RSS