China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chairman Chen Deming’s (陳德銘) tour of the nation continued to be marked with protests yesterday.
In a visit to Jinan Temple (進安宮) in Yilan County’s Nanfangao (南方澳) — accompanied by Want Want Group (旺旺集團) chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) — Chen was greeted from across the road by Falun Gong protesters, who held a banner and signs behind barriers in a designated protest zone.
Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance legislative candidate Wu Shao-wen (吳紹文) and independent candidate Sun Po-yu had earlier been hauled away from the temple’s entrance after they attempted to protest the negotiations on a cross-strait trade in goods agreement.
Photo: CNA
Wu said that she had originally intended to cook a “trade in goods porridge” in her campaign vehicle using agricultural goods which could be affected by the ongoing negotiations, but instead had been forced by police to park far from the temple entrance.
She carried a banner demanding that the negotiations be halted, saying that any opening of the market to Chinese agricultural goods would hurt Yilan’s farmers and could compromise food safety.
She said the action by police was “disproportionate.”
Photo: CNA
“Today there were only five of us who went [to protest] — including two legislative candidates — what could we possibly do to [Chen]?” she asked, adding that it was unreasonable for the temple entrance to be declared “off limits” to protesters.
“The ‘protest zone’ was located across the road, but when Chen arrived he stopped directly at the [temple] entrance and went in — so there was no way he could see [the protesters]. We needed to be in a place where he was able to see us — what is wrong with going there and holding a sign?” she asked.
Chen was also greeted by protesters at a later stop at the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan’s Wujie Township (五結), with members of the Free Taiwan Party attempting to charge his entourage, before being restrained by police.
The government has said that it aims to conclude negotiations on a cross-strait trade in goods agreement by the end of this month, with processed agricultural goods rumored to be on a list of products that would be opened to Chinese imports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that the Chinese Communist Party was planning and implementing “major” reforms, ahead of a political conclave that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda. Chinese policymakers have struggled to reignite growth since late 2022, when restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. The world’s second-largest economy is beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high unemployment among young people. Policymakers “are planning and implementing major measures to further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner,” Xi said in a speech at the Great Hall
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military
WARNING: China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after its new regulation took effect last month, an official said, citing an incident in the Diaoyutai Islands The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday linked China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to Beijing’s new regulation authorizing the China Coast Guard to seize boats in waters it claims. Chinese officials boarded and then seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel operating near China’s coast close to Kinmen County late on Tuesday and took it to a Chinese port, the CGA said. The Penghu-registered squid fishing vessel Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88) was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣), 17.5 nautical miles (32.4km) from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Kinmen,