While former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) drew fire from across party lines for his decision to attend a military parade in Beijing, Shi Hsin University professor Wang Hsiao-po (王曉波) yesterday voiced support for the trip.
“I do not think there is anything wrong with Lien’s decision [to attend the event] since he currently holds no government or party positions,” said Wang, who also served as the convener of the Ministry of Education’s controversial curriculum adjustment task force.
“Plus, I think he might intend to convince the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] to work with Taiwan to rewrite history textbooks,” he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Wang praised Lien for his trip to China in 2005, ending the warring status between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the CCP, saying that he deserves merit for his contributions in cross-strait relations and the Chinese nation.
The contribution that Lien is expected to make during this trip is still unknown, Wang said, adding that he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) might make a major announcement that would make Lien’s trip worthwhile.
Commenting on former premier Hau Pei-tsun’s (郝柏村) remarks that retired military officers should give up their pension if they decide to attend the military parade, Wang said that “whether to receive the pension is a legal issue, it’s not something that Hau could decide.”
He went on to say that Hau opposes the visit because his son, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), is running for a legislative seat and therefore he is worried about political consequences.
Asked to comment on President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) statement yesterday that it’s inappropriate for Lien to attend the event, Wang said: “Ma is not in a position to say anything, whether to attend is Lien’s decision to make.”
Attendance by Taiwanese at China’s military parade to commemorate its victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan would only have an impact on the Taiwan independence movement, and would not have an impact on Taiwan itself, Wang said, adding that it would actually scare people off who have territorial and sovereignty ambitions for Taiwan.
Separately yesterday, in response to media queries for comments on the Lien matter, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said that public perception on Lien’s visit needed no further explanation from him, “Everyone knows.”
Lee said Lien, also a successful businessperson, often visited China and no one minded, however, attending a military parade was “something else altogether.”
On Hau Pei-tsun’s insistence that other retired generals refrain from attending the parade, Lee said Taiwanese youths serving in the nation’s military would not know what to think if retired generals attend the parade in China.
“These youths would definitely feel awkward when they see the people who are supposed to lead them [against a Chinese invasion] visit China and instead shake hands with the aggressors,” Lee said.
Additional reporting by Huang Pei-chun
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS