The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday accused the “increasingly authoritarian” Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of threatening global democracy, after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in his centenary address touted the party’s accomplishments and commitment to restoring “territorial integrity.”
Donning a Mao suit before a crowd of 70,000 at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Xi praised the CCP for lifting millions out of poverty in the 100 years since its founding. He also upheld the “one China” principle and the so-called “1992 consensus” as a means toward peaceful unification with Taiwan.
“Solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland are the sworn historical duties of the CCP and the common aspiration of all Chinese people,” he said, urging people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to “smash any ‘Taiwanese independence’ plots.”
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The “1992 consensus” — a term that former MAC 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 CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
While conceding that the CCP has achieved “certain economic development” by adopting a Western free-market system, the council condemned the party for “strangling democracy and violating human rights.”
Under the pretext of national rejuvenation, the CCP is becoming “increasingly authoritarian,” while turning its back on private enterprise, it said.
Externally, it has revealed its hegemonic aspirations, while attempting to disrupt the international order, it added.
“The CCP’s historical policy blunders and persistent harmful actions pose a grave threat to regional security and global liberal democracy,” the council said.
The CCP must reflect on its mistakes and promote democratic reforms as soon as possible to return political power to the people, it said.
It must also stop bullying the weak and become a responsible party to regional peace, it added.
Responding to Xi’s calls for unification, the council urged Beijing to “face up to the reality” that 23 million Taiwanese have long rejected its unilateral “one China” principle and “1992 consensus.”
Only by abandoning intimidation and political frameworks can the two sides maintain healthy and sustainable interaction, it added.
The Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation yesterday released the results of its first-ever “feeling thermometer” poll, designed to gauge public sentiment toward the CCP.
Foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said it is the first time the political science tool has been applied to the issue.
The poll asked respondents to rank their sentiment toward the CCP from 0 to 100, in which 0 represents the strongest dislike and 50 represents either indifference or no feelings.
Forty-seven percent responded with a ranking of less than 50, while 10.1 percent answered higher than 50, 31.9 percent answered 50 and 11.1 percent declined to respond or said they did not know.
The poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese have either negative or no feelings toward the CCP, You said.
This remained true regardless of political orientation, age, gender, education, income level and other demographics, including KMT supporters and those whose families came to Taiwan after 1949, he added.
The telephone survey, conducted from June 15 to 19, collected 1,072 valid responses from respondents aged 20 or older. It has a confidence level of 95 percent and margin of error of 2.99 percentage points.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS