A state-run Chinese newspaper yesterday denounced Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as narrow-minded and selfish after she criticized the historic meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore on Saturday.
Ma and Xi shook hands and smiled for the media before entering a closed-door session at the Shangri-La Hotel on Saturday afternoon, marking a symbolic milestone in the cross-strait relationship since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
Tsai blasted Ma for “failing to stand up for democracy” and freedom, and for not describing Taiwan as the Republic of China.
In a post on her Facebook page on Sunday, Tsai accused Ma of trying to “limit Taiwan’s future... to achieve his own political status.”
The Global Times newspaper — which has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — said in an editorial that Tsai had “made gaffes,” describing her as “wrathful” in an attempt to “belittle the meeting.”
She had “exposed her support for ‘Taiwan independence,’” it added.
“Tsai’s demand has revealed her narrow mind and extreme political selfishness of putting votes above peaceful development across the Strait,” the paper said.
Relations between Beijing and Taipei have grown closer since Ma’s 2008 election, with increases in trade and tourism, as well as the start of direct flights.
However, popular concern about Beijing’s influence is growing in Taiwan and the DPP looks set to win January’s presidential election.
The Global Times warned of “powerful countermoves from the mainland” if Tsai pursues independence once taking office.
“She might have a quicker and uglier defeat if she does not learn from Chen being crushed,” it said, referring to former DPP president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Chen was imprisoned for 20 years in 2008 on corruption charges, but was released on medical parole in January.
“The future of Taiwan must be decided by 1.3 billion Chinese, including those in Taiwan,” it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS