Taiwan’s future cannot be contingent on the goodwill of Beijing, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in an interview published yesterday by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times), while adding that the government would seek dialogue over confrontation.
The People’s Republic of China has since its founding refused to accept the fact that the Republic of China exists, and has resorted to various forms of threats to coerce Taiwan into accepting its “one China” principle, he said.
Taiwanese find China’s political preconditions for dialogue unacceptable, he said.
Photo: Huang Chun-hsuan, Taipei Times
“We do not accept narrow-minded and rigid ideological frameworks,” Chiu added.
Beijing’s military and economic threats, diplomatic oppression and other actions, including infiltration of Taiwanese society and the use of cognitive warfare, have caused the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to drift further away from each other, he said.
Such actions go against Chinese leaders’ comments that Taiwan and China should be spiritually intertwined, he added.
Chinese oppression of Taiwan is why it has become the target of an international “containment” policy, Chiu said, calling on Beijing to consider measures to facilitate a cross-strait thaw.
The nation’s future should not be contingent upon the “goodwill” of Chinese leaders, he said, adding that President William Lai’s (賴清德) four “pillars” of peace are key to realizing that goal.
In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in July last year, Lai defined the four pillars as building up the nation’s defense capabilities, promoting economic security and fostering supply chain resilience, forming partnerships with other democracies and maintaining steady and principled cross-strait leadership.
Commenting on Beijing’s recent guidelines allowing its courts to impose severe punishments on “die-hard Taiwanese independence advocates,” Chiu said they have a negative effect and undermine cross -strait relations.
They are a classic demonstration of “legal warfare,” he said, urging Taiwanese to reconsider non-essential visits to China, Macau or Hong Kong.
The guidelines are full of “uncivilized” practices, including long-arm jurisdiction, trials in absentia, confiscation of property and even extend to a target’s family, he added.
Chiu also called on Beijing to release the cerw of the fishing boat Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88), which was detained by the China Coast Guard on Tuesday last week, as well as provide medicine for crew members who need them.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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