Taiwan and the Republic of China (ROC) are mutually dependent entities, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, using a “water and cup” analogy to describe them.
The strengths of Taiwanese society can be consolidated under the realization that the ROC and Taiwan are inseparably bound and neither can survive without the other, said Hou, who is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nomination for next year’s presidential election.
Hou used the “water and cup” analogy on the sidelines of a session at the New Taipei City Council a day after he used it in response to KMT Taipei City Councilor Lin Ching-chieh’s (林金結) question about whether China is a friend or foe.
Photo: CNA
“The ROC is a cup and Taiwan is the water in it,” he said on Thursday, adding: “If the cup breaks, the water will spill.”
National security is paramount: Without it, everything would be lost, so the nation must forge a peaceful path that ensures the perpetual existence and prosperity of Taiwan and the ROC, he said.
Taiwan should pursue friendly dialogue with Beijing on the basis of dignity and equality while bolstering national defense, he added.
Photo: CNA
New Power Party (NPP) Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) yesterday said that Hou’s analogy was an attempt to put Taiwan back into the ROC bottle, which runs counter to the consensus in Taiwan.
Taiwan is gaining recognition and the reality of the nation’s distinct identity from its China is dawning around the world, Wang said.
It is China’s problem that it is angered by the merest show of acceptance of Taiwan by the international community, she said, adding that Hou should condemn Beijing’s outrageous behavior instead of confusing the world with bad analogies.
The NPP supports the sovereignty and independence of Taiwan, and resolutely opposes any scheme that would incorporate it into China, she said, adding that Taiwan must walk its own path under its rightful name.
Meanwhile, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), who has said he would seek the KMT nomination for president, criticized the government’s cross-strait policies and vowed to stop the “harassment” of Taiwan by Chinese warplanes if elected to the top office next year.
He was asked about China after a speech to students at Tunghai University in Taichung.
China is primarily concerned with its economic development, as it faces great pressure to sustain the livelihoods of its people and address the high unemployment among young college graduates, Gou said.
China does not want war, either, “but Taiwan cannot mess around with independence,” he said.
“They think Taiwan belongs to them. Then let them say: ‘We will maintain the status quo’ and keep cross-strait relations in a gray zone,” he said.
While Taiwan is “not the top priority” for China, many politicians in Taiwan try to stoke anti-China sentiment to boost their election campaigns.
Arms purchases by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government are bad policy, he said, adding that he would turn Taiwan into a “tech island” not an “ammunition depot.”
Gou said he favored “a dignified peace” and “negotiations between equals.”
If elected president, the “harassment” of Taiwan by Chinese warplanes would stop, because his focus on economic development would bring benefits to China, he said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS