The government strongly condemns China’s interference in Taiwan’s internal affairs and the freedom of its press, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
Authorities have long been aware of China’s attempts to influence and pressure local media and a statement by Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Yang (汪洋) only confirmed this, Tsai said.
Wang on Friday said that Taiwanese media should give more coverage to Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework.
Photo: AFP
Wang made the statement following a media summit in Beijing organized by the Beijing Daily Group and cohosted by Taiwanese media company Want Want China Times Media Group (旺旺中時集團).
Other Taiwanese media companies in attendance included United Daily News Group (聯合報), Eastern Broadcasting Co (東森電視) and TVBS Media (聯利媒體).
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are elements of a democracy most worth cherishing, Tsai said, adding that “we must strive together” to protect those freedoms.
She would ask national security authorities to closely monitor the situation, Tsai said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter that China has one goal: “Defeat from within front-line state Taiwan’s defense of freedom & democracy.”
On Saturday, the Mainland Affairs Council also criticized Wang, saying he was “using a cross-strait media summit as a platform for political propaganda.”
Taiwanese media companies should avoid helping the Chinese Communist Party in its “united front” efforts, it said.
Beijing has been ramping up and diversifying its interference in Taiwanese society since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) speech marking the 40th anniversary of Beijing’s “message to compatriots in Taiwan,” the council said.
In the speech, Xi extolled China’s “one country, two systems” framework, describing it as the only peaceful alternative to forcible unification through military force.
The nation’s media have a responsibility to uphold the principles of fairness and impartiality in their reporting, and to defend the nation’s hard-fought freedom of the press and freedom of speech, the council said.
Presidential Office spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) on Saturday said he hoped that media at the summit in Beijing would report on the “brave spirit of criticism” of China that is displayed in Taiwanese society.
That spirit was one of explicit opposition to China’s “united front” efforts, he said, adding that media companies should assist the government and the public in opposing such tactics.
The government was in the process of developing a robust defense network to protect the nation’s democracy and ensure freedom of speech, he said.
Additional reporting by Yang Chun-hui
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
SECURITY: President William Lai has announced plans to restore the military court system that was disbanded in 2013 to address a surge in Chinese infiltration efforts Taiwan plans to reinstate military judges to hear Chinese espionage cases and other offenses involving Taiwanese service members, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. There would be a review and legal amendments “to reinstate the military trial system,” he told reporters after a national security meeting. “Military judges will return to the front line,” Lai said. Military judges would work “alongside prosecutorial and judicial agencies to handle criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel accused of treason, aiding the enemy, leaking classified information, dereliction of duty, insubordination and other military offenses,” he said. The number of people prosecuted for spying for Beijing has risen sharply,
RSS