Several pan-green civic groups yesterday challenged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and other government officials to an open debate tomorrow on the topic of a government-proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China.
The government has urged the public not to oppose the planned trade deal before the details have been disclosed, “but this is ridiculous because opposing something we don’t know is our way of protesting against tyranny,” Taiwan Society director Janice Chen (陳昭姿) told a press conference yesterday.
A protest against the government’s attitude on an ECFA is scheduled to be held tomorrow at 1pm on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office. Organizers said protesters would voice their concerns in a peaceful manner.
Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy secretary-general Chen Yu-hsin (陳雨鑫) said he suspected the government would proceed to sign an ECFA with Beijing, with or without public consent — a repeat of what the Ma administration did when it signed a protocol with Washington on US beef imports.
“The stage has been set and the invitation has been issued. We are urging Ma not to be afraid to face public scrutiny,” Janice Chen said.
The Taiwan Society said several economic experts would also be at the event to elaborate the negative impacts an ECFA would have on Taiwan.
The invitation to Ma was sent to Presidential Office personnel. As of press time, the president had not responded. Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and the Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Mao-lin (施茂林) were also invited, but have not responded.
Chen said policy makers had the obligation to explain to the public important agreements, adding that their unwillingness to face the public was a sign of incompetence.
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
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