Taiwan president calls on China to extend goodwill - newspaper

[webfact]

Taiwan president calls on China to extend goodwill - newspaper

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen reacts during an interview with Reuters at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan April 27, 2017. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen called on China to change its thinking and extend goodwill in its relationship with the self-ruled island, according to an interview published on Wednesday by a newspaper considered close to her main opposition.

 

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own, cut official communication channels with Taipei soon after Tsai took power in May last year to pressure her and her party into recognising the "one China" principle agreed by the previous Nationalist government.

 

The United Daily News, a major Taiwanese daily regarded as close to the Nationalists, reported that Tsai said stable cross-Strait ties would also benefit China, referring to the body of water separating the two sides.

 

China should consider how it can use an attitude of goodwill in its approach, Tsai was paraphrased as saying in the front page article.

 

She said the global situation is changing and that it takes both sides to keep peace and stability in bilateral relations.

 

Tsai leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party and says she wants to maintain peaceful ties without bowing to pressure from China.

 

Tsai has said she will "maintain the status quo", but has not conceded to the "one China" principle. The principle recognises there is one China, but leaves room for each side to interpret whether Beijing or Taipei rules it.

 

When asked how she sees ties developing with China after a Communist Party congress later this year, at which President Xi Jinping is expected to further consolidate his power, Tsai said any political decision-maker should be prepared for all possible outcomes.

 

The interview, Tsai's second within a week, is likely aimed at laying the ground before a speech she is expected to deliver on May 20 to mark the anniversary of her taking office.

 

China slammed Tsai's inaugural speech last year as offering an "incomplete answer" to what it called an exam on bilateral relations.

 

In an interview with Reuters last week, Tsai said: "Why not say we both are facing a new exam. We also look forward to China using a different perspective to face this new exam."

 

Defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's Communists, and the island has been self-ruled ever since. The young democracy has shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China.

 

(Reporting by J.R. Wu; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-03

[DekDaeng]

Yes. Beijing could learn from a little western (Greek) culture.

 

'The parable of the Wind and the Sun' Aesop.

 

The sole driving force behind the Taiwan independence movement is Beijings belligerence.

 

China has virtually no military threats - but spends on its military 146 billion USD, over 30% of the value of Taiwans total GDP!

 

What a fing waste!

 

China has a thousand or more missiles pointing at Taiwan

 

Taiwan has 1 missile pointing at China 

 

a ten tonne stone penis.

 

Put up by a sculptor.

 

Beijing, listen to mei mei.

 

[Dumbastheycome]

1 hour ago, DekDaeng said:

Yes. Beijing could learn from a little western (Greek) culture.

 

'The parable of the Wind and the Sun' Aesop.

 

The sole driving force behind the Taiwan independence movement is Beijings belligerence.

 

China has virtually no military threats - but spends on its military 146 billion USD, over 30% of the value of Taiwans total GDP!

 

What a fing waste!

 

China has a thousand or more missiles pointing at Taiwan

 

Taiwan has 1 missile pointing at China 

 

a ten tonne stone penis.

 

Put up by a sculptor.

 

Beijing, listen to mei mei.

 

Imagine  the  havoc  turning that  sculpture  to  face  the  USA   would  create !  Lmaoooooooo

[tonbridgebrit]

Taiwan, how about YOU show some goodwill by not making nonsense comments about declaring indepedence ?

Washington is busy sorting out Syria and North Korea. Washington is not going to invade China just because of your declaration of independence, this is what will cause China to invade you.

And also, Hillary Clinton is not the President of America. Donald Trump is. Basically, most American people are simply refusing to back any military action taken by Trump. If Hillary was in charge, well, a whole load of people would be supporting whatever military action.

[DekDaeng]

9 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Taiwan, how about YOU show some goodwill by not making nonsense comments about declaring indepedence ?

Washington is busy sorting out Syria and North Korea. Washington is not going to invade China just because of your declaration of independence, this is what will cause China to invade you.

And also, Hillary Clinton is not the President of America. Donald Trump is. Basically, most American people are simply refusing to back any military action taken by Trump. If Hillary was in charge, well, a whole load of people would be supporting whatever military action.

Taiwan has not declared independence

Groups within Taiwan have called for independence - but as I said, entirely fueled by Beijings belligerence.

[tonbridgebrit]

2 hours ago, DekDaeng said:

Taiwan has not declared independence

Groups within Taiwan have called for independence - but as I said, entirely fueled by Beijings belligerence.

Correct, Taiwan has not declared independence, China would have fired a few thousand missiles at them if Taiwan did. And carry out a mass invasion with soldiers as well.

I seriously suggest that all people in Taiwan (the Taiwanese are actually a bunch of Chinese who are living on a island called Taiwan) simply look at Beijing's belligerence and keep their mouths shut. Any talk of independence by anybody in Taiwan antagonises Beijing.

How about everybody in Taiwan accepts the enormous benefits that Taiwan gets from China ?  Taiwan is allowed to export it's goods to China with minimal import taxes. The USA, Japan, EU, these places don't get the same massive benefit. And Taiwan also rakes in good tourism money from the flood of Chinese tourists.


Okay, the crucial point is, is Washington's role in all of this. Is Washington willing to invade China if war breaks out between China and Taiwan ?  When people in Taiwan believe that Washington will jump in, well, that's when they refuse to keep their mouths shut about independence. Like I was trying to say, them Taiwanese should accept that Americans backing any military action have fallen massively since Trump became POTUS. If Hillary was in charge, well, they can react to Beijing's "belligerence" by antagonising Beijing.

[Prbkk]

Fat chance of Beijing paying attention: they had their rancid ratbag henchmen out in force at a major diamond meeting inAustralia yesterday, taking over the microphone during the opening ceremony ( which acknowledges the tradional landowners) and forcing the Foreign Minister to abandon her speech....all in a thuggish effort to have the Chinese Taipei delegation kicked out ( and supported in that by various sleazy Uncle Toms from the usual failed states of Africa).

Bullies and thugs, no more, no less.

[mrwebb8825]

On 5/4/2017 at 3:20 AM, tonbridgebrit said:

If Hillary was in charge, well, a whole load of people would be supporting whatever military action.

Yea, she did really well while in charge of Benghazi. I believe her response to protecting American Lives was; "Sorry, we're a little busy and we just don't have the money", followed by "Isn't it time we just moved on" in the aftermath.

 

Taiwan has every right to seek independence from China or are all you people that supported the break-up of the USSR now of 2 minds?

Edited May 5, 2017 by mrwebb8825

[tonbridgebrit]

On 05/05/2017 at 11:31 AM, mrwebb8825 said:

Yea, she did really well while in charge of Benghazi. I believe her response to protecting American Lives was; "Sorry, we're a little busy and we just don't have the money", followed by "Isn't it time we just moved on" in the aftermath.

 

Taiwan has every right to seek independence from China or are all you people that supported the break-up of the USSR now of 2 minds?

Yes, I criticise Hillary for being a war-monger and war-witch. That's Hillary Clinton.

"Taiwan has every right to seek independence from China" ?  No, I don't think so. I really don't.
IF Texas wanted to break away from America, I reckon America has every right to bomb Texas. If South-East England wanted to break away from Britain, well, no, I don't think South-East England should be allowed to do it.

As for the former USSR,  no, I don't reckon that NATO soldiers should risk their lives fighting in places like the Ukraine and Belo-Russia.

[mrwebb8825]

10 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

"Taiwan has every right to seek independence from China" ?  No, I don't think so. I really don't.
IF Texas wanted to break away from America, I reckon America has every right to bomb Texas. If South-East England wanted to break away from Britain, well, no, I don't think South-East England should be allowed to do it.

Taiwan does have the right to break away and govern themselves. Happens all the time. Ireland and Northern Ireland, North and South Korea, North and South Vietnam. Even Scotland has/was/is voted/voting to break away from England.

Texas America might put up a fuss about, California, not so much.