Academia Sinica yesterday began a three-day conference in Taipei to mark the centenary of the May Fourth Movement, with Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) saying that academic research must be independent and free of the yoke of political ideology.
The movement was triggered by a massive student protest in Beijing on May 4, 1919, against the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government’s inaction in the face of intrusive foreign powers, which led to young people pursuing democracy and science.
In his opening remarks, Liao highlighted the founding of Academia Sinica as inheriting the movement’s spirit of developing science, liberty, democracy and creativity.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The institution was established in China in 1928 when the then-KMT government was based there. It relocated to Taiwan in 1949 following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War.
Academics should adhere to professionalism and independence even when dealing with highly politicized scientific issues, Liao said.
The movement can be described as a moral revolution, given that it led to enlightenment in different aspects of life, such as changing views about marriage with reduced emphasis on parental wishes, Academia Sinica vice president Huang Chin-shing (黃進興) said.
Academic Chen Yung-fa (陳永發) delivered the keynote speech, titled: “How Mao Zedong (毛澤東) abducted the history of the May Fourth Movement.”
Mao misled followers into believing that liberalism was something to shake off in their ideological struggles, Chen said, adding that Mao’s discourses caused the movement to veer toward Marxism.
The conference, which closes tomorrow, has 16 sessions, with more than 60 research papers to be presented, while two roundtables on the final day are to wrap up reflections on and the legacy of the movement, the institution said.
Across the Taiwan Strait, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) highlighted nationalism and political loyalty in a speech in celebration of the movement in Beijing on Tuesday.
The movement led by progressive young people was a patriotic revolution to defend people’s dignity, spread new ideas and disseminate Marxist ideas, Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.
Young Chinese people in the new era should continue to love their country, follow the instructions of Chinese Community Party and work to realize the dream of reviving the great Chinese people, Xi said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
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
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
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS