2023/03/19-2023/03/25

3/20
前總統馬英九將於3月27日至4月7日赴中國大陸祭祖,馬英九基金會執行長蕭旭岑表示,沒安排、也不會會見北京相關人士,但對陸方安排餐敘,「客隨主便」。蕭也指出,馬英九到哪都是中華民國前總統,但兩岸互不承認主權,互不否認治權,陸方將延續2015年馬習會前例,以「先生」尊稱馬英九。
聯合報引述北京消息,國台辦主任宋濤預計在南京會見馬,中共對台二把手、全國政協主席王滬寧也可能在上海與馬會面。

March 20: 
Former President Ma Ying-jeou will go to mainland China to pay respects to his ancestors from May 27 to April 7. Executive Director Hsiao Hsu-tsen of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation stated that while there is currently no plan to meet with relevant officials from Beijing, Mr. Ma as the guest will respect the convenience and arrangements by the host. Hsiao also indicated that Mr. Ma is the former president of the Republic of China wherever he goes. However, based upon the understanding that both sides of the Taiwan Strait do not recognize each other's sovereignty but do not deny each other's governing authority, the mainland will continue the precedent of the 2015 meeting between Mr. Ma and Xi Jinping and refer to the former president as "Mister."
The United Daily News cited sources from Beijing that Director Song Tao of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council is expected to meet with Mr. Ma in Nanjing. Wang Huning, the second-hand man with respect to Taiwan and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, may also meet with Mr. Ma in Shanghai.


3/22
美國在台協會前理事主席卜睿哲建議,民進黨應暫停台獨黨綱。卜睿哲應邀來台演講,他表示,如果美中關係繼續惡化,台灣絕不會從中受益;建議台灣朝野政治領袖共同擬訂一套對策,以因應兩岸關係面臨的挑戰,並宣示若北京堅持「一國兩制」,台灣就不會參與政治對話。

March 22: 
Richard Bush, former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, suggested that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should suspend its Taiwan independence platform. Invited to Taiwan to deliver a keynote lecture, Mr. Bush stated that Taiwan will not benefit if U.S.-China relations continue to deteriorate. He recommended that Taiwan's ruling and opposition party leaders should jointly formulate a set of counter-measures to deal with the challenges facing cross-strait relations and declare that if Beijing insists upon "One Country, Two Systems," then Taiwan will not participate in political dialogue.


3/21
總統府公布,蔡英文總統將於29日出訪中美洲邦交國貝里斯及瓜地馬拉,去程過境紐約,回程過境洛杉磯,此行共10天9夜。
對外界稱此行重點是回程時將會見美國眾議院議長Kevin McCarthy,並在雷根圖書館發表演說,尚未得到總統府證實。眾議院「美國與中國共產黨戰略競爭特別委員會」主席Mike Gallagher 23日晚間表示,他將隨同McCarthy蔡總統。
華爾街日報報導,拜登政府正敦促中國不要利用蔡英文訪美加劇緊張局勢;一位高階官員說,蔡英文此次訪美與以往平穩無事的多次訪問無二致。

March 21: 
The Office of the President announced that President Tsai Ing-wen will visit diplomatic allies Belize and Guatemala in Central America, make stopover in New York after departure from Taiwan and in Los Angeles on the return trip. The trip will last 10 days and nine nights.
Observers believe that the focus of this trip is to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthy of the U.S. House of Representatives on the return trip and deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, but this part of the itinerary has yet to be confirmed by the Office of the President. Chairman Mike Gallagher of the House China Select Committee stated on the evening of March 23 that he will accompany Speaker McCarthy during the meeting with President Tsai.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the administration of President Joe Biden is urging China not to use Tsai's visit to the United States as a pretext to escalate tensions. A senior official stated that Tsai's visit to the United States is no different from many previous visits which were free of tension and provocation.


3/22
國民黨中常會定調,為團結勝選、避免爭議,2024總統提名將採徵召模式,新北市長侯友宜被認為出線機率高,新北市議會民進黨團磨刀霍霍,要凸顯侯已無心市政。表態參加初選的孫文學校總校長張亞中發表聲明表示遺憾,批堂堂大黨連初選都不敢辦。
同日,民進黨中執會審查總統提名初選登記參選人賴清德資格,同意因同額競選,停辦民調,中執會將在4月12日將提名賴清德,代表民進黨參選2024年總統。

March 22: 
In order to promote unity and avoid disputes, the Central Standing Committee of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) decided to "recruit" the party's 2024 presidential nominee as opposed to holding a primary election. Mayor Hou Yu-ih of New Taipei is widely believed to be the favored candidate. The DPP caucus of the New Taipei City Council is ready to interpellate rigorously to show that Hou's sights are no longer focused on municipal governance. Chang Ya-chung, principal of the Sun Yat-sen School, issued a statement expressing regret and criticized that a major party does not have the fortitude to hold a primary election.
On the same day, the Central Executive Committee of the DPP reviewed the presidential candidacy registration of William Lai, approving his candidacy and suspending polls for the lone candidate. The Central Executive Committee will officially nominate Lai on April 12 as the DPP's 2024 presidential candidate.


3/23
中央銀行再度宣布升息半碼,自2022年3月啟動升息循環以來利率連五升,連帶造成房貸利率地板價在暌違14年之後重新站上2%。升息也帶動台幣升值,台灣機械公會反映,台灣外銷導向,匯率影響產業至巨,呼籲政府謹慎調控匯率,彈性調整與競爭國家同升同貶,並主張台幣匯率應貶到32元(兌一美元)。

March 23: 
The Central Bank once again announced an interest rate hike by half a percentage point. Since the start of the rate increase cycle in March 2022, the interest rate has risen five times in a row, which has caused the floor price of mortgage interest rates to return to 2 percent after 14 years. Rising interest rates have also driven the value of the New Taiwan dollar. The Taiwan Machinery Association stated that Taiwan is export-oriented, and the exchange rate has serious impact on the industry. It calls on the government to carefully regulate exchange rates and flexibly adjust rates pegged to the currencies of competing countries. It also advocates that the exchange rate of the Taiwan dollar should be depreciated to NT$32 to US$1.


3/24
民法規定造成婚姻破裂的一方無權提離婚,憲法法庭判決部分違憲,不管難以維持婚姻的重大事由發生多久,都不准怨偶其中一方提離婚,顯然過苛,不符憲法保障的婚姻自由,要求2年內完成修法。

March 24: 
The Civil Law stipulates that the party who caused the breakdown of a marriage has no right to file for divorce. The Constitutional Court, Judicial Yuan, ruled the statute partially unconstitutional. The court held that it is obviously too harsh to not allow a party to file for divorce, no matter how long the grounds that make it difficult to maintain the marriage have sustained. It is therefore contrary to the freedom of marriage protected by the Constitution. The court ruled that an amendment is to be completed within two years.


3/24
美國白宮前國安顧問、全球台灣研究中心(GTI)「美台關係工作小組」主席Amb. Robert O'Brien訪台,在記者會表示,台灣應該教全民使用武器,如果有數百萬人都會使用AK47步槍,將使中國共產黨領導人重新評估入侵台灣、嚇阻中國。

March 24: 
Former United States National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien visited Taiwan. In a press conference, O'Brien stated that Taiwan should teach all people how to use weapons. If millions are able to use the AK47 rifle, then leaders of the Chinese Communist China may reassess invading Taiwan, effectively deterring China.

 

3/26
宏都拉斯於當地時間25日宣布結束與台灣外交關係;外交部長吳釗燮也在26日上午舉行記者會,即日起終止與尼加拉瓜的外交關係。總統府指這是中國大陸一連串文攻武嚇的一環,對宏國的選擇表達強烈遺憾及譴責。
我邦交國剩下13個。由於南美洲僅存邦交國巴拉圭將於4月舉行總統大選,外界擔憂是否成為「下一個宏都拉斯」,吳釗燮則保證,「不會有問題。」

March 26: 
Honduras on March 25 announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In a press conference on the morning of March 26, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu announced the end of diplomatic relations with Honduras, with immediate effect. The Office of the President stated that the switch of diplomatic recognition is part of a series of civil and military threats by China. It expressed strong regret and condemnation of the choice made by Honduras. 
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has 13 remaining diplomatic allies. Paraguay, Taiwan's only ally in South America, will hold presidential elections in April. Observers are concerned whether it may become the "next Honduras." Minister Wu assured that there will be no problem.