The Republic of China (ROC) Air Force yesterday called on travel agencies to help prevent Chinese tourists from visiting military bases that are open to the public.
The air force said that travel agencies should not arrange for Chinese tourists to visit any bases or attend military shows.
Meanwhile, the air force added that the military only opens the nation’s military bases to ROC nationals and Taiwanese should have their ROC ID cards with them in order to clear security checks if they wish to visit a military base.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
The statement came in the wake of a report that several Chinese tourists were expelled from the Hualien Air Force Base last month after they were found to be attending a military show.
On May 29, a military show open to the public was held at the Hualien base. Various weapon systems, including F-16s, Mirage-2000s, IDF fighter aircraft and Hawk missiles were on display.
A group of Chinese tourists entered the base by bus without undergoing a security check. Once inside the base, the tourists were reported to have taken several pictures.
Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau agents who were at the base discovered the Chinese tourists and informed the base about the matter. The base then expelled the tourists.
According to regulations, visitors have to present their ROC ID cards and register before they are allowed to watch a military show at any of the nation’s military bases. However, the Hualien base did not check IDs that day.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Herman Shuai (帥化民) said yesterday that actual military secrets would not be evident during a military show.
However, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said the incident suggested that there are gaps in the nation’s national security system.
The incident comes as a program is set to begin before the end of this month which will open Taiwan to free independent travelers from China, allowing a maximum of 500 Chinese a day to arrive for a period of no more than 15 days.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
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,
RSS