A Chinese tourist who was arrested on Monday for entering a military facility and taking pictures was released on his own recognizance late on Tuesday night.
Prosecutor Tseng Chun-tseh (曾俊哲) ordered the man’s release and did not ban him from leaving Taiwan. Tseng took him to the restricted area of the military compound in Taipei City where he was found the previous day, to reconstruct his movements.
The man, identified as Ma Zhongfei (馬中飛), was handed over on Tuesday to the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office for investigation on suspicion of illegally intruding into a military area, which carries a punishment of up to one-year’s imprisonment, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday slammed the prosecutor’s decision to release Ma without imposing a travel ban.
“Ma detected military equipment and achieved his goal, but Taiwan’s judiciary neglected its duty to protect the country,” DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said.
Yu said Ma was caught taking photos of military equipment installed at a computer warfare command center that is part of a military recruitment complex on Keelung Road in downtown Taipei. The recruitment center is open to the general public, but the computer warfare command area is a restricted facility.
Military officers immediately detained Ma after discovering that he had entered a restricted military facility, Yu said.
An initial investigation found that Ma entered Taiwan a few days ago as part of a tourist group from China. Ma is the chairman of a Chinese technology company, which does not appear to have an English name. Its Chinese name can be loosely translated as Guangdong Sikeda Technologies Co Ltd (廣東思科達信息技術有限公司).
Meanwhile, dpp legislator chiu yi-ying (邱議瑩) asked how the prosecutors would summon ma for further questions or bring him to court if he could leave taiwan anytime.
chinese nationalist party (kmt) caucus secretary-general yang chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) said: “we respect the judiciary’s decision [to release him]. after all, the judiciary released him after conducting a thorough investigation.”
when asked for comments yesterday, yang described the incident as a “single case,” adding that this should not influence other visits by chinese tourists to taiwan.
but she said the caucus would urge the tourism bureau to have tour guides clearly inform tourists of regulations in taiwan before they arrive.
as part of the investigation, tseng escorted ma on tuesday morning to retrace his movements in taipei.
ma said that he entered the military recruitment center as he was on keelung road on his way to xindian in taipei county, where he planned to pay his respects to a deceased friend, tseng said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG AND RICH CHANG
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS