China’s oppression of its own citizens and dissidents not only harms human rights domestically, but also casts a shadow on its neighbors. Taiwan’s frontline fight against the rollback of human rights requires global attention and support from other democratic countries.
The UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday conducted a new universal periodic review on China. It is clear and without doubt that Beijing’s continued repression of human rights has triggered waves of criticisms and protests domestically, and also cast a shadow on its neighbors.
Over the past few years, protests in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong have demonstrated the people’s desire for democracy and greater human rights protections. The introduction of a social credit system and the forced disappearance of pro-democracy activists have raised concerns. China’s violent suppression and refusal to acknowledge the appeals of the public is disheartening.
The international media have extensively covered the Chinese government’s forced rehabilitation of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region “re-education camps.” The Chinese government’s labeling of innocent individuals as “extremists” and its systematic efforts to eradicate the unique culture and Islamic faith of the Uighurs are clear indicators of ongoing minority oppression in China.
China is also tightening its grip on the ability of individuals in Hong Kong to participate in politics. The disqualifications of Lau Siu-lai (劉小麗) and others in an effort to silence the public are in gross violation of the “one country, two systems” declaration and threaten Hong Kong’s civic society. China’s continued repression will only further alienate Hong Kong’s citizens and expose “one country under two systems” as a myth.
The New Power Party (NPP), as a party native to Taiwan, an advocate for the establishment of national normalcy and supporter of democracy in the region, urges the international community to take its responsibility in view of China’s human rights violations.
China’s use of economic coercion and the Belt and Road Initiative to export its own imperialistic ambitions threatens to undo half a century of democracy, human rights and rule of law in the region. Only through collective efforts can we reverse the humanitarian crisis of the century.
With local elections on Nov. 24, Taiwan is all the more vulnerable to China’s meddling and encroachment. The NPP appeals to the international community to join forces in condemning China, to call for an end to its internal repression and external economic coercion, and to declare their support for democracy in Taiwan — allowing Taiwan to continue to be a champion of human rights and peace in the global community.
Chen Nah-chia is an NPP press officer. She holds a master’s of international politics from the School of African and Oriental Studies at the University of London and was previously a legislative assistant for the NPP caucus. Shieh Yi-hsiang is a postgraduate student at George Washington University in Washington. He was previously also an NPP legislative assistant.
Although former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo — known for being the most pro-Taiwan official to hold the post — is not in the second administration of US president-elect Donald Trump, he has maintained close ties with the former president and involved himself in think tank activities, giving him firsthand knowledge of the US’ national strategy. On Monday, Pompeo visited Taiwan for the fourth time, attending a Formosa Republican Association’s forum titled “Towards Permanent World Peace: The Shared Mission of the US and Taiwan.” At the event, he reaffirmed his belief in Taiwan’s democracy, liberty, human rights and independence, highlighting a
The US Department of Defense recently released this year’s “Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.” This annual report provides a comprehensive overview of China’s military capabilities, strategic objectives and evolving global ambitions. Taiwan features prominently in this year’s report, as capturing the nation remains central to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) vision of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” a goal he has set for 2049. The report underscores Taiwan’s critical role in China’s long-term strategy, highlighting its significance as a geopolitical flashpoint and a key target in China’s quest to assert dominance
The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) last week released the latest job vacancy data in Taiwan, which highlighted how many job openings firms had yet to be filled at the end of August last year. The data also revealed how the vacant positions were closely related to the business climate that industrial and services sectors faced at the time. The DGBAS collects data on job vacancies at the end of February, May, August and November every year. The number of job vacancies includes recruits for expanding operations and additional production lines as well as for openings related to
The Legislative Yuan passed legislation on Tuesday aimed at supporting the middle-aged generation — defined as people aged 55 or older willing and able to work — in a law initially proposed by Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城) to help the nation transition from an aged society to a super-aged society. The law’s passage was celebrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the TPP. The brief show of unity was welcome news, especially after 10 months of political fighting and unconstitutional amendments that are damaging democracy and the constitutional order, eliciting concern
RSS