China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day.
Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external interference cannot impede the historic reunion of family and country.”
Photo: Yang Yao-ju, Taipei Times
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Liu said that China’s use of military, diplomatic and economic coercion against Taiwan, and its attempts to alter the “status quo” by waging legal and cognitive warfare are of great concern to Taiwanese, unlike the unpopular narratives and opinions espoused at the meeting.
The meeting was merely a propaganda tool for Beijing to spread its narrative about Taiwan and it did nothing to conceal China’s ambition to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, he said.
Beijing has been promoting the “1992 consensus” as a setup for Taiwanese to concede to the “one China” principle, with the aim of fully negating Taiwanese sovereignty, Liu said.
If Beijing has a genuine desire to show goodwill to Taiwan, it can start by ending its coercive tactics and acknowledge mainstream public consensus in Taiwan on issues involving sovereignty, he said.
Taiwan welcomes dialogue with China to resolve their differences, but insists that the two sides must meet as equals, Liu said, adding that only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the authority to talk with Beijing.
In related news, the Ministry of National Defense said that 14 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were detected in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in the 24-hour period starting at 6am on Wednesday.
Six of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern or eastern zone, flight paths released by the ministry showed.
An unspecified number of aircraft flew as close as 46 nautical miles (85km) off Oluanpi, Taiwan’s southernmost tip, as shown by the flight paths, the defense ministry said.
Six PLA Navy vessels were also detected in waters off Taiwan, it said.
Separately, Taiwan yesterday condemned the confiscation of Republic of China national flags and other emblems at a meeting at the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce’s Vietnam branch, and Hanoi’s refusal to issue visas to Taiwanese lawmakers invited to the event.
A delegation headed by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) was unable to attend the event as Vietnamese officials denied the group’s visa applications, Liu said.
World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce’s selection of Vietnam as the place of its general meeting demonstrated Taiwan’s success in spreading the reach of its soft power via economic ties, he said.
However, Taiwan is disappointed by the Vietnamese government’s bowing to Beijing, Liu said, adding that Taiwan has lodged a strong protest with Vietnam’s representative office in Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS