Tsai in den USA, Ma, EU und neue Friedenstaube Macron in China:Vorerst keine neue Taiwankrise– KMT: Wer DDP wählt, wählt den Krieg!

Tsai in den USA, Ma, EU und neue Friedenstaube Macron in China:Vorerst keine neue Taiwankrise– KMT: Wer DDP wählt, wählt den Krieg!

Die befürchtete neue Tawainkrise wegen des Tsaibesuchs scheint auszubleiben. Zwar schickte die KP China auch mal ihren Flugzeugträger Shandong samt ein paar Schiffen in die Taiwanstraße nebst ein paar Kampfflugzeuge, noch Laut Angaben des taiwanesischen Verteidigungsministeriums wurde nicht einmal die berühmte Mittellinie in der Taiwanstrasse von der VBA überquert, wie zuletzt beim Pelosibesuch wenngleich man nicht sicher bleib, ob das Manöver nur auf die Taiwanstaße begrenzt bleiben würde. Tsai scheint in ihrer Rede nicht gesagt zu haben, was als Überschreiten einer roten Linie wie etwa im Falle Lee Denughuis in seiner Rede über zwei Staaten in den 90er Jahren an der Cornell- Universität.Der übliche Protest, die Ankündigung von „resolute measures“ ,da swar es. Nichts von heftigen Militärmanöver zu lesen .Also scheinbar keine neue Taiwan-Krise, zumal wohl auch der Besuch der europäischen Delegationen in Peking und die Global Security Initiative samt Charmenitiative Xis da dämpfend gewirkt haben mögen. Tsai und die DDP-nahe Taipeh Times bezeichnen das McCarthy-Treffen als „historisches Treffen“, herausgestellt wird zudem ,dass nicht nur Mc Carthy, sondern auch eine parteiübergreifende Delegation von Kongressabgeordneten dabei war ,also auch Demokraten von der Regierungspartei Biden’s. Die Rede Tsais in der Ronald Reagan Freedom Library hat scheinbar keine neue Taiwan-Krise losgebrochen.

“Tsai, McCarthy reaffirm strong Taiwan-U.S. bond after historic meeting”

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/04/06/2003797433#

 Währenddessen ist Tsais Gegensacher von der KMT nach Chongqing in Shanghai angekommen, wobei die Global Times den Tsaibesuch eher herunterspielt, den Beuschs Mas aber in aller Breite bring, die DDP- nahe Taipeh Times spiegelbildlich umgekehrt.

Shanghai Party chief meets Ma Ying-jeou, ‚peace, cooperation the common voice across Straits‘

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202304/1288586.shtml

Historisch ist aber auch Mas Chinabesuch. Interessant wäre es u wissen, was sich die KMT und die KP China jenseits der Beuterungen eine grochinesische Familie mit gemeinsamen Blut, Sprache und Kultur zu haben, voneinander konkret erwarten. Die KMT will zurück zum 1992 er Konsens. Aber die KP China erklärte, dass es seit dem Pelosibesuch eine „neue Normalität“ gebe, deren Ausdruck das nun gewohnheitsrechtliche Uberrschreiten der Mittellinie und der ADIZ ist. Die nautische Meile ist bisher noch intakt. Hofft die KMT, dass man zum alten Status Quo zurückkommen kann, also wieder Respektieren der Mittellinie und der ADIZ ,vielleicht sogar aus der Taiwanstrasse  eine quasi demilitatisierte Zone machen und im Gegenzug ,dann wieder zu den alten Engagementbeziehungen wie unter Ma Yingjd Prasidentschaft  zurückzukehren? War as Nichtüberschreiten der Mittelline bei dem Drohmanöver der VBA während des Tsaibesuchs da zugleich ein Signal an die KMT und die Taiwanesen in dieser Rictung oder wäre das zuviel hineininterpretiert? Vielleicht sogar noch mit Freihandelsabkommen oder im Rahmen des RCEP? Ist das realistisch nach all den vorgekommen Ereignissen?  Würde es die taiwanesische Gesellschaft da nicht zerreißen und bräuchte das dann vielleicht ein neues 228- Massaker,um es durchzusetzen?. Auch unwahrscheinlich, dass 1 Land,2Systeme nach Hongkong noch akzeptiert wird. Xi hat Wang Nanhui nun beauftragt eine neue Taiwan-Formel zu ersinnen. Möglicherweise laufen da auch Hintergrundsgespräche mit der KMT, da dies mit der DDP nicht machbar ist. Vielleicht würde eine neue Taiwan-Formel dann auch als Teil der Global Security Initiative, der Global Development Initiative und der Global Civilizational Initiative offeriert. Aber wie reagieren die USA und die DDP darauf?

Wie es scheint, wird Tsai nicht mehr kandidieren, dafür ihr Vize Lu der Nachfolgekandidat. Bei der KMT werden gerade auch die Kandidaten überlegt. Wahrscheinlich aber ist der Bürgermeister von Taipeh ,der Chiang-Grossenkel politisch zu sensibel und umstritten. Sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass das wie auf den Philipinen so eine Bongbong Marcos jr.-Nummer auf Taiwan wird. Zumindestens jetzt noch nicht. Neuer Favourit scheint dafür der Bürgermeister von Kaohsiung, Hou You-Yi, der nun auch Unterstützung vom zuvor aus der KMT ausgetretenen Oligarchen Terry Gou erhält, welcher nun dafür KMT- Vorsitzender werden will.

Wie es aussieht, scheint der neue KMT-Slogan zu werden: Wer DDP wählt, wählt den Krieg Erinnert an die KPD-Parole der Weimater Republik: Wer Hitler wählt, wählt den Krieg! Wobei das ja zumindestens in letzterem Fall auch richtig war und so geschah.

Terry Gou again to seek KMT presidential ticket

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/04/06/2003797400

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with China's French community at the residence of France's ambassador in Beijing on April 5, 2023.Photo: AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with China’s French community at the residence of France’s ambassador in Beijing on April 5, 2023.Photo: AFP

Wahrend Tsai in den USA tourt, ist neben Ma nun auch EU- Van der Leen, Macron, Sanchez in Peking. Baerbock will Mitte April nachkommen.

France, EU leaders begin China visit with China-France, China-EU ties in focus

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202304/1288570.shtml

Van der Leyen und Macron, seien angeblich der good cop/Bad cop, zumal Macron vor seinem Chinabesuch nochmals einen Gang zu Biden machen musste, nun gegenüber China für einen Neustart, eine .proaktive Chinapolitik, Engagement und Ausweitung der Handelsbeziehungen eintritt, sich gegen Decoupeln ausspricht, 60 Konzernvertreter, auch Airbus im  Schlepptau hat, Unterstützung für Chinas Ukraineinitiative zusagt. Angeblich sei laut Global Times Frankreich das einzige europäische Land, das mit allen Seiten spreche und sprechen könne, hat scheinbar nun die Führungsmacht in der EU und nicht Deutschland. So sieht man scheinbar Frankreich als Lichtgestalt der von China und Macron so vielzitierten europäischen Souveränität. Neben der US- Friedenstaube Generalstabschef Milley, Taiwans Friedenstaube Ma Yingjiu, ist Macron aus Sicht der KP China nun eben die Friedenstaube in der EU. Aber über das Investitionsabkommen CAI der EU mit China oder eine Freihandelszone hat man nichts mehr gehört, auch nicht seitens Macrons. China kritisiert, dass der Marktzugang nach Frankreich eingeschränkt sei und verweist auf die wirtschaftliche und soziale Situation Frankreichs und der EU, die  nur mit Hilfe Chinas verbessert werden könne.Zudem sollen sogenannte „third party cooperations“ zwischen China und Frankriech in Afrika, dem Greater Middle East du anderen Regionen vorangetreiben werden, was vielelicht sogar Anknüpfungspunkte zwischen Vhinas Neuer Seidenstrasse schaffen soll, vielleicht perspektivisch auch mit Verbindung mit der europäischen Neuen Seidenstrasse der EU Global Gateway. Aber darüber ist noch nichts Näheres zu erfahren.

Der gerade zum Macronbesuch in Peking weilende Sinologieprofessor der LMU Dr. van Ess meldete noch:

„Macron scheint ziemlich stark betont zu haben, dass man kein Decoupling wolle: Wirtschaft und Ukraine waren die Themen (von Afrika habe ich nichts gehört). Was von der Leyen gesagt hat, weiß ich nicht..(…) Sowohl als auch (en meme temps) sagt Macron anscheinend dauernd. Deutschland dürfte durch die Gespaltenheit der Regierung tatsächlich als Führungsmacht in Europa derzeit lahmgelegt sein..“

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Originalquellen:

Shanghai Party chief meets Ma Ying-jeou, ‚peace, cooperation the common voice across Straits‘

By GT staff reporters Published: Apr 05, 2023 11:43 PM


Chen Jining, the secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday. 

Ma on Wednesday arrived at Shanghai, the final stop of his trip to the mainland, where he stressed that maintaining peaceful and stable cross-Straits relations is the mainstream view of people in Taiwan. 

Chen told Ma that the mainland and Taiwan region share a common bloodline, history and culture, and that he was moved by Ma’s paying homage to his ancestors in Hunan Province, which is a manifestation of traditional Chinese culture.

Peaceful development, exchanges and cooperation are „the common voice of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits,“ Chen said, noting that „we should uphold the concept that both sides across the Straits are one family,“ and make continuous efforts to increase friendship and support for each side. 

Shanghai is one of the mainland’s most active cities in terms of cross-Straits cooperation, has the largest concentration of businessmen from the island living here and the greatest  frequency of travel to and from Taiwan, Chen said. 

Shanghai will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan as always, create better conditions for cross-Straits youth exchanges, and provide better services and business environment for Taiwan enterprises to invest and operate in the city, he continued.

Ma reiterated the 1992 Consensus, saying he’s committed to promoting the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations, especially promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between young people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Ma also visited the Yangshan Port, which has been rated the world’s largest and most intelligent automated container terminal, and the operation management center of Pudong New Area. Ma praised the highly intelligent mode of operation of Yangshan Port’s unmanned terminal.

Gu Jinshan, Chairman of Shanghai International Port Group, told Ma that the fourth-phase automated terminal of the Yangshan Port has improved operational efficiency by greatly reducing labor input and carbon emissions. The biggest breakthrough is the installation of self-developed chips, which is the core of the safe and reliable operation of the automated terminal at Yangshan Port, said Gu. Shanghai Port has had the world’s largest container throughput for 12 consecutive years, with Yangshan Port contributing more than 50 percent of the total.

Ma will take the Taiwan student delegation to visit Fudan University in Shanghai with the aim of boosting youth exchanges between the two sides.

Ma’s trip is the first to the mainland by a former Taiwan regional leader since 1949.

Apart from paying respects to his ancestors, he also led a group of Taiwan students for communication and exchange activities in the mainland cities of Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and Shanghai. 

Ma also paid visits to a number of historical sites where the KMT participated in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), including Sihang Warehouse Battle Memorial in Shanghai, Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, and the Chongqing Anti-Japanese War Heritage Museum.

The places Ma visited in the past few days are very representative as they either mean a lot to Ma himself or have a profound meaning that suggest both sides across the Straits belong to one and the same China, or serve as a vivid example of the progress that the mainland has made, Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies in Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

„Ma and the young people who came with him could see all the accomplishments the CPC has led the whole country in making with their own eyes. These accomplishments may open their eyes on their view of the CPC as they reflected on the CPC’s unchanged original aspiration and relentless efforts in pursuing the wellbeing of the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,“ said Zhu.

To help repair the sense of national and cultural identity for Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, which has been damaged by secessionists and foreign forces, it’s important for people on the island to better learn that the mainland has been very successful in terms of development and governance, has made internationally recognized achievements in past decades and is now gaining increasing respect among members of the international community. This will gradually make Taiwan compatriots understand the benefits of reunification, and more and more people will give their support to the reunification process, experts noted.

Zhu added that Ma’s trip could also clarify the truth to the international community that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China in terms of history, law and consciousness, and can also tell the world that cross-Straits relations are an internal affair rather than a state-to-state one.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202304/1288586.shtml

Thu, Apr 06, 2023 page1

Military closely watching Chinese drill

  • Staff writer, with CNA

The military is closely watching a Chinese drill in the Taiwan Strait that began yesterday morning, ahead of a scheduled meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Beijing said the drill is a “joint cruise and patrol special operation” led by a patrol vessel.

The Ministry of National Defense said Taiwanese forces are monitoring Chinese activity in the Strait through joint intelligence and surveillance, adding that no irregularities had been detected.

The exercises are led by the Haixun 06 (海巡06), the first large Chinese vessel designated to patrol the Strait, joined by an undetermined number of maritime police vessels, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

The report did not specify the exact location of the drill and when it would end, saying only that it was being held in the northern and central parts of the Strait.

NAUTICAL CHART

However, a nautical chart attached to the report suggests that the drill might not be limited to the Strait.

The chart highlights two areas east and southeast of eastern Taiwan, without identifying what they represent.

Chinese-language media reported that the two areas are among those that were targeted by missiles during exercises that Beijing launched following then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August last year.

Separately, the ministry reported that 14 Chinese military jets and three warships had been detected around Taiwan from 6pm on Tuesday to 6am yesterday.

Two of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the ministry said.

One of them was a Harbin BZK-005, a high-altitude, long-range uncrewed aerial vehicle used for reconnaissance purposes and the other was a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, it said.

However, no Chinese military aircraft took the more provocative step of crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said, adding that the number and routes of flights were similar to Chinese air force movements in the past few weeks.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/04/06/2003797399

China vows to take resolute response to Tsai-McCarthy meeting; US’ insidious manipulation on Taiwan question will ignite more conflicts with China: experts

By Chen Qingqing

Published: Apr 06, 2023 10:54 AM

Multiple Chinese authorities including China’s top legislature, the Taiwan Work Office of CPC Central Committee, Chinese defense ministry and Chinese foreign ministry firmly opposed and condemned the latest meeting between the regional leader of China’s Taiwan island and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in California, vowing to take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, in response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the US and Taiwan secessionist authorities. 

Chinese experts believe that the US has been taking extremely destructive actions to show that as part of its China policy, it will continue playing the “Taiwan card” deliberately to destroy the environment for China’s development. Driven by its all-around strategic competition and confrontation with China, US insidious manipulation on the Taiwan question is seeking to distort and replace the generally recognized one-China principle, igniting more conflicts with China and leading already-strained China-US relations into a more difficult situation, experts said. 

While McCarthy becomes the highest US official to meet Taiwan’s regional leader on US domestic soil since 1979 when China and US established formal diplomatic relations, some experts warned that under a raft of Taiwan-related bills passed by the US Congress with strong bipartisan support, the political interactions between the US and Taiwan have been elevated, continuing provoking China and walking down on the dangerous path of breaking through the bottom line of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US. “Such tendency toward bringing so-called US-Taiwan relations back to the status before 1979 is unacceptable,” some experts said. 

McCarthy and a bipartisan congressional delegation met Wednesday with Tsai in Simi Valley, California, stressing the importance of “the relationship between the two sides to economic freedom, peace and stability in the region,” Bloomberg reported. 

McCarthy later said the US must continue arms sales to Taiwan while also strengthening economic cooperation, particularly on trade and technology, according to the media report. 

Although some US media outlets noted that “neither McCarthy nor Tsai mentioned China by name at a joint appearance,” Chinese officials and experts said the meeting itself is a serious provocation that will draw a firm and resolute response from the Chinese side as such acts have gravely violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sent seriously wrong signals to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence.”

Four Chinese authorities including the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress, the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, China’s Ministry of National Defense and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Chinese Embassy in the US issued the statements on early Thursday morning in condemning Tsai’s “transit” trip through the US and her meeting with US officials. 

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China will stand by its responsibility and mission and remain on high alert. The PLA will resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese Defense Ministry said. 

In response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the US and Taiwan, China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. 

The meeting not only damaged China-US relations and undermining the existing political foundation but also makes the situation in the Taiwan Straits more tense, some experts said. It also showed that Tsai, the DPP authorities and other “Taiwan independence” secessionists do not hesitate to be the “running dogs” of the US and want to engage in cross-Straits confrontation by gambling with the lives of 23 million people of the Taiwan island, experts said.

“McCarthy meeting Tsai during her transit in the US is a typical dangerous move that created divisions and confrontations in the Asia Pacific,” Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

In recent years, the US has been seeking to distort and replace the true meaning of the one-China principle, engaging in destructive activities in manipulating the Taiwan question, which also showed that the essence of the US’ China policy is confrontation and conflict, Li said, noting that the continuous provocation of the US side aims at provoking China’s red line, paving the way for more intense conflicts with China in the future. 

While some Western media commentators pointed out that the Tsai-McCarthy meeting would further escalate the US-China tensions, Chinese experts see the bilateral relations – already at a low point – will surely face more obstacles, and the US continues playing the “Taiwan card” and constant hyping of the matter will affect the overall atmosphere for the bilateral relations and interactions. 

The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that should never be crossed in this bilateral relationship, the Chinese Embassy in the US said. 

The Congress, as a part of the US government, is obligated to strictly abide by the foreign policy that the latter has adopted and committed to, the embassy said. McCarthy is the third highest ranking official in the US government, and his meeting with Tsai on the US territory is a grave mistake that elevates the official interactions and substantive relationship between the US and Taiwan. 

“Using the Taiwan question for a show with political purposes, US politicians have acted highly irresponsibly and turned themselves into problem-makers for China-US relationship and the situation at the Taiwan Strait,” the embassy said. 

“The US Congress has indeed become a source of negative policies toward China, echoing the US’ containment and confrontation strategies, especially on the Taiwan question, ranging from arms sales to official interactions,” Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday, noting that going too far and extreme to underscore lawmakers’ firm and harsh position toward China and to highlight the “weakness” of the Biden administration with the purpose of partisan rivalry. 

“Now the China-US relations is at a low point, which could have been changed through high-level interactions, but such erroneous moves by the US side will affect the possible improvement of the bilateral ties,” he said.  

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202304/1288599.shtml

Thu, Apr 06, 2023 page1

Tsai, McCarthy reaffirm strong Taiwan-U.S. bond after historic meeting

Staff writer, with CNA 

Taiwan President Tsai Ing- wen (蔡英文) and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reaffirmed the strong partnership between Taiwan and the United States and their commitment to safeguarding regional stability, following their historic meeting in California on Wednesday (Thursday morning Taipei time).

„I believe our bond is stronger now than at any time or point in my lifetime,“ McCarthy said in a joint press appearance with Tsai after their two-hour closed-door meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

The meeting, which was also attended by a bipartisan group of Congress members, was the first-ever meeting between a Taiwanese president and a U.S. house speaker on American soil, and the third time a Taiwan president met with a U.S. House speaker since the Republic of China in Taiwan and the United States ended official diplomatic relations in 1979. „Taiwan is a successful democracy, a thriving economy, and a global leader in health and science. And whether it’s our deep commercial ties, strong people-to-people relationships, or shared values, our cooperation with the people of Taiwan continue to expand through dialogue and exchange,“ the Republican House Speaker said.

He stressed that the friendship between the people of Taiwan and the United States „is a matter of profound importance to the free world“ and is critical to maintaining economic freedom, peace and regional stability.

Touting Wednesday’s meeting as a „bipartisan meeting of Republicans and Democrats united together,“ McCarthy said the U.S. will honor its obligations and commitment to its shared values with Taiwan.

Tsai, meanwhile, said the presence of bipartisan Congress members at the meeting and their unwavering support reassured the people of Taiwan that „we are not isolated, and we are not alone.“

She noted that the peace and democracy Taiwan has worked hard to maintain and build are facing „unprecedented challenges.“

„We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat. And the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated,“ she said.

In her meeting with US congressional leaders, Tsai reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to defending the „peaceful status quo,“ and highlighted a belief, which late U.S. President Ronald Reagan championed, „that to preserve peace, we must be strong.“

„I would like to add that we are stronger when we are together,“ she said.

The president thanked U.S. Congress members for proposing initiatives that helped enhance Taiwan’s self- defense capabilities, foster robust trade and economic ties between Taiwan and the U.S., and support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community.

Tsai also paid tribute to Reagan, who she said played a crucial role in protecting and fortifying U.S.-Taiwan relations at a time of changing diplomatic realities.

The Reagan administration’s Six Assurances, passed in 1982, as well as the landmark Taiwan Relations Act, laid the foundation for a strong and unique partnership of over four decades, during which Taiwan enjoyed peace, prosperity and democracy, Tsai noted.

Wednesday’s meeting took place eight months after McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, briefly visited Taiwan in early August 2022 and met with Tsai at the Presidential Office.

The trip by Pelosi, the first sitting U.S. House speaker to have visited Taiwan in 25 years after Newt Gingrich’s visit in 1997, prompted China to launch week-long large-scale military drills around Taiwan and suspend the imports of dozens of Taiwanese agricultural and food products.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and opposes any official interactions between Taipei and Washington, has repeatedly raised objections to the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) told a press briefing earlier this week that Beijing would „take resolute measures“ to protect its national interests should the two meet.

Shortly before Tsai arrived in Los Angeles Tuesday evening, after visiting New York, Guatemala, and Belize as part of a 10-day overseas trip, China announced a three-day drill in the Taiwan Strait that it characterized as a „joint cruise and patrol special operation.“

China also sailed its newest aircraft carrier, the Shandong (山東艦), through waters south of Taiwan into the West Pacific Ocean for a long-range exercise on Wednesday, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/04/06/2003797433

Thu, Apr 06, 2023 page1

“Terry Gou again to seek KMT presidential ticket

By Kao Hua-chien, Chen Cheng-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writer and CNA

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou speaks at a news conference in Taoyuan yesterday.

Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) would again seek the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) nomination for president, he told a news conference marking his return from the US at a hotel near Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday.

The business tycoon was a contender for the 2019 KMT presidential nomination, but lost to former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜). He quit the party the same year.

Taiwan can only avoid war with China by reducing tensions between the US and China, and voting the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) out of office, he said. “We must honestly tell young people that it is dangerous to vote for the DPP, which exalts Taiwanese independence, and hates and opposes China,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying. “Peace is not taken for granted, and people need to make the correct choice.”

Gou apologized for leaving the KMT and pledged to support New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) — widely presumed to be planning to run for the presidency — if Hou wins the party nomination.

The KMT is to select its presidential and legislative candidates via a special committee consisting of party leaders, it announced on March 23.

Reached for comment, Hou said that protecting the nation and loving its people are the most important things in his life, adding that solidarity is needed for the good of the nation.

Hou was speaking at a news event following a mayoral visit to the light rail station in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水)

Asked whether he would run for president, Hou said his top priority remains to lead the New Taipei City Government, as city residents have been suffering from rising prices of daily necessities.

KMT caucus whip William Tseng (曾銘宗) said Gou’s remark that the DPP must be voted out of office and his apology are positive signs.

The party, even united, could still lose next year’s election and a disunited party would be doomed, he said, adding that the KMT must reach out to swing voters.

The creation of the KMT special committee to nominate candidates was a move to avoid disunity that could arise from primary elections, he said.

The inclusion of Gou in the national polls is a matter for the KMT Central Standing Committee to decide, which has the full support of KMT lawmakers, he said.

Citing his own sources, Tseng said the KMT headquarters has initiated measures following the announcement of Gou’s presidential bid to ensure that the nomination would be fair and transparent.

KMT legislative caucus secretary-general Hsieh Yi-fong (謝衣?) — the first in the party to declare support for Hou’s presumed presidential bid — said she remains “cautiously optimistic” that Hou is the most likely contender to be chosen by the party organization.

“The DPP absolutely viewed Hou as the strongest opponent it could face in the election,” she said.

Hou is a “pragmatic and drama-free” candidate for next year’s presidential election, KMT legislative caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said.

DPP spokeswoman Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that Gou’s entry into the race reflects Hou’s falling approval ratings and a surge in public criticism of his stance toward China.

The KMT presidential nomination is likely to devolve into a political affray, as shown by the rivalry between KMT Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) and Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) to become the party’s legislative candidates, she said.

Gou has a long way to go in his presidential bid, and that is why he targeted the DPP using colorful language, Michelle Lin said, adding that the DPP does not respond to unreasonable remarks.

While Gou is popular with young people and those who vote on economic issues, the KMT has gone backward in democracy by its decision to nominate candidates without a vote, DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said.

Peace would not be achieved through Gou’s platform of avoiding war by improving US-China relations and voting out the DPP, Hsu said, adding that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown the world how authoritarian states operate.

Gou’s peace proposal would require him to “pay a visit to Beijing as a tributary vassal and praise China’s pandemic response, as former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did recently,” he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/04/06/2003797400

France, EU leaders begin China visit with China-France, China-EU ties in focus

By Chen Qingqing

Published: Apr 05, 2023 09:44 PM

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, embarking on a three-day visit of „restarting exchanges and advancing cooperation,“ officials and experts said. Macron landed in China shortly ahead of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as the two European leaders eye balancing economic ties with China and aiming to find some common ground for the yearlong Ukraine crisis that has dragged the EU into an unprecedented security dilemma not seen ever since WWII. 

While France sees China as a possible „game changer“ in the Ukraine crisis, some experts believe the visit – Macron’s first since 2019 – will not only accelerate exchanges between China and France in fields ranging from business to culture, but also set an example for other European countries. Compared to the US-led bloc confrontation that only hurts the interests of the EU and leads the continent into a dangerous path of a new cold war, China plays a significant role in global governance and it always stands on the side of peace. Whether to choose the dangerous path or peaceful development, it is time for the EU to rethink, some experts said. 

Ahead of his trip to China, Macron discussed the trip and the Ukraine crisis with US President Joe Biden in a phone call, media reported. Some French officials were quoted as saying that China is now considered as the only country that is able to communicate with all parties in the conflict. 

Some Western media described the visit of the two European officials as a „rare arrangement“ that seeks to present a united European face, but they have different plans. Some suggested that Macron and von der Leyen may play „good cop, bad cop“ on a China visit, considering that von der Leyen struck a firm tone on China over the Ukraine crisis, which raised questions about whether European leaders can manage a balance between trade and geopolitics.  

„The visit will first help restart exchanges and advance cooperation, especially after the three-year pandemic that largely reduced such exchanges, as the two sides have seen more misunderstandings about each other after being estranged. Now, it’s time to sit down and talk about issues at bilateral and global levels,“ Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Also, both China-EU relations and China-France relations have strategic significance on global affairs, and interaction among China, the EU and France will send a strong signal to the world that stable China-EU ties will contribute to a multipolar world, which is also a vivid rejection to bloc confrontation, Cui said. 

Unique role of China 

In his first speech after arriving in Beijing, Macron said at a meeting with French nationals in the Chinese capital that „China could play a major role in finding a path to peace in Ukraine,“ the AFP reported. 

He also said in his speech at the French Embassy in Beijing that Europe must not „separate“ from China economically, claiming that France would „commit proactively to continue to have a commercial relationship with China,“ the media report said. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Wednesday. Qin said China attaches great importance to Macron’s visit to China, and is ready to work with France to promote fruitful results of the visit, leading the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership and practical cooperation to a higher level. 

In safeguarding multilateralism, the China-France cooperation will inject more stability and certainty into the world, and inspire the international community to help each other, share opportunities and meet challenges together, Qin said. 

Colonna noted that France views France-China relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and adheres to independent decision-making. The French side does not agree with „decoupling“ and is committed to dialogue and engagement, she said.

As top Chinese diplomats such as Wang Yi and Qin Gang have talked with both Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, in addition to the recent trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia, China is already playing a communicating role, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

„I believe that China and EU will reach a consensus on the Ukraine crisis. Not like some Western public opinion has hyped, China’s stance on the issue is no different from that of Europe,“ Wang said. 

For example, during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2022, the Chinese leader urged to prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia, saying that nuclear weapons cannot be used and that nuclear wars must not be fought, the expert noted. Also, both sides will stress the importance of a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. 

However, there have been growing divisions inside the EU toward its China policy, especially when it comes to trade rebalancing and the Ukraine crisis. Amid the crisis, the alliance between the EU and the US has reached a record high since the Cold War but it is time to reconsider such alliance as it will not solve Europe’s problems, and Washington only considers its own interests. 

On the eve of a major EU diplomatic foray into China, the bloc’s foreign policy chief on Tuesday lashed out at Beijing for its support of Russia on the Ukraine crisis, and called it „a blatant violation“ of its UN commitments, the AP reported. 

„There are aggressive voices but also a practical attitude inside the EU. Some people continue pressuring China to take sides, but more realize that it’s time to seek solutions rather than exerting pressure or making condemnations,“ Cui said. Those different voices will not stop us from doing the right thing: To unite more countries and seek peaceful solutions, he noted. 

Danilo Türk, former president of Slovenia and president of the World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid, noted at a forum in Beijing on Tuesday that a China-proposed position paper on the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis establishes a conceptual framework within which further steps can be contemplated.

„I don’t think that it is wise to reject a well-meaning and comprehensive conceptual framework that China has provided,“ Türk told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Robust ties

While Macron and von der Leyen appear to have adopted different rhetoric on China-related topics, some European media said Macron has pushed the EU to be more robust in its trade relations with China. During this ongoing visit to China, Macron is accompanied by a delegation of over 50 CEOs, including senior executives from French energy giant EDF, rail transport manufacturer Alstom, and Airbus.

„While the US has been pushing Europe to confront Russia, it has been persuading the continent to ‚decouple‘ from China, but Europe should not be fooled, especially when China-EU trade ties are still very close,“ Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

France is now facing rising social costs with yellow vest protests and protests against raising the retirement age adding more economic and social difficulties. Under such circumstances, more cooperation with China could help it gain advantages for its economy, particularly in sectors such as tourism and services, Sun said. 

It is not in Europe’s interest to „decouple“ itself fully from China, and the bloc should instead look into diplomatic and economic „de-risking,“ von der Leyen said in a recent speech about China-EU relations. 

„China and Europe coexist with each other, which is the natural result of economic globalization, and this can’t be changed by someone’s will. Many people in the EU have said the EU’s reliance on China is artificially exaggerated, Fu Cong, Chinese envoy to the EU, was quoted in an article published on the website of Mission of China to the European Union. 

We hope the EU will follow the trend of economic globalization, earnestly abide by WTO rules, and be committed to promoting trade liberalization and opening the economy, rather than imposing protectionism; and maintain the positive development of China-EU economic and trade relations, Fu said. 

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202304/1288570.shtml

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