President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged the public to remain calm after Taiwan’s national flag appeared in a new video purportedly released by the Islamic State (IS) group on Tuesday.
“I exchanged opinions with Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) in the morning and instructed the national security agencies and the Executive Yuan to implement preventive measures to protect Taiwanese from terror attacks, whether they occur at home or abroad,” Ma said.
Ma said people should refrain from panicking and those planning to travel abroad should remain vigilant.
Photo: CNA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also release relevant security information to better prepare people for their overseas journeys, Ma said.
Ma made the remarks yesterday morning during a visit to a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co facility in Taichung, one day after the publication of a video titled “No Respite,” allegedly produced by the IS.
The video features the national flags of 60 of the 65 members of the US-led coalition against the IS, including that of Taiwan, the US, the UK and Japan. Its background narrator calls on the coalition members to “bring it on,” threatening to let the “flame of war” burn them in the “hills of death.”
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
It came after US President Barack Obama mentioned Taiwan as a member of the anti-IS international coalition during a speech on Sunday at the East Asia summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Ma said anti-terrorism efforts not only include armed confrontation, but also humanitarian aid, as demonstrated by Taiwan’s donation of 350 prefabricated houses to Syrian refugees last year.
“The efforts cover a wide range of aspects and do not target the IS solely,” Ma said.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said that it has notified all of Taiwan’s overseas representative offices to launch an emergency response system, step up their anti-terror and security efforts and adopt extra vigilance when issuing visas to foreigners.
“In terms of its role in the global anti-terror effort, Taiwan has merely provided humanitarian aid and emergency rescue assistance,” Wang said.
However, Wang declined to confirm rumors that Representative to the US Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) attended an anti-terrorism meeting held by the US Department of State on Tuesday to discuss expanding the global coalition against the IS.
In the legislature, Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) echoed the president by calling on the public “not to panic, as we have always called for peace.”
Chen said that Taiwan’s effort in the so-called “anti-terror coalition” has been providing humanitarian aid for refugees, and emergency assistance and information exchange in terms of international cooperation.
“Muslims in Taiwan are in a good and friendly relationship with [other religious groups] and receive equal treatment,” Chen said.
The conflict surrounding “IS is mainly a religious one,” Chen said.
The minister of the interior said that while there has been no report about suspicious individuals’ entering the nation, security and cargo checks at airports and ports and border management will be stepped up, with the help of information exchange with other countries.
National Policy Agency Director-General Chen Kuo-en (陳國恩) said the nation’s counterterror mechanism is comprised of two levels: The National Security Council and the National Security Bureau are in charge of the national security level, and the Executive Yuan’s Office of Homeland Security is in charge of the administrative level, and if incidents involving violent assaults take place, the police would counteract with emergency squads.
In the event of a domestic terror attack, the Wei-An Special Services Commando Unit would be prepared, as it has done anti-terror exercises with forces from Singapore, France and the US, Chen Kuo-en said.
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS