The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday released a strongly worded statement condemning the use of force against participants of the “Jasmine Revolution” in China.
Chinese authorities have cracked down hard on the sporadic protests, inspired by the protest movement sweeping much of North Africa and parts of the Middle East, rounding up dozens of activists and human rights lawyers last month amid calls for protests in as many as 18 major Chinese cities.
The DPP’s statement came one day after Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said Beijing should embrace democratic reform.
In the DPP statement, the party said Taipei should use the government’s promotion of cross-strait ties to incorporate values of democracy and human rights into agreements with Beijing to encourage “China’s democratic transformation.”
“We ask that the government support the Chinese pro--democracy activists with -substantive -measures. It would show Taiwan’s firm resolve to uphold the values of democracy, freedom and human rights,” the statement read.
These ideals are “universal values and should not be taken lightly,” it said.
“China has signed the two international human rights covenants … but continues to make these violations of human rights and impose restrictions on speech,” it added.
Beijing has signed, but not ratified, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Taiwanese government officials, including Wu, on Tuesday spoke in favor of political reform for China, but have stopped short of criticizing Beijing’s crackdown on protesters and the media.
Wu told the legislature that despite China’s economic rise, “it still had much room for improvement in aspects of freedom, human rights, democracy and judicial [independence],” adding that China should meet the protests “more positively.”
The DPP statement followed earlier remarks by DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Feb. 21, who called on Taiwan to give more attention to the “Jasmine Revolution” in China, calling democracy a “safety net” for Taiwan in its dealings with Beijing.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS