Fu could have said ‘no’
After Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) led KMT party members to Beijing to meet with Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧), China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Song Tao (宋濤) and others, the TAO announced that it would donate modular housing units to areas devastated by the April 3 earthquake, to be delivered through cross-strait Red Cross organizations.
Minister of the Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) responded on April 28 that the central government and civic groups’ donations were more than adequate, and that moreover, religious charitable organizations in Hualien County were already providing modular housing, and whether disaster survivors needed modular housing units would be looked into.
Lin’s response could not have been swifter or more on point. There is no need for housing provided by the outside world. We are holding our own just fine.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus secretary-general Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that 25 years ago, modular housing was an option of last resort.
From rebuilding to management to tearing them down, such housing units were a massive challenge. The aftermath of the Hualien earthquake is far different from the 921 Earthquake of 1999.
With 25 years of experience, there are far better ways to help survivors get back on their feet such as bills to provide rent stipends.
Wu then urged Fu to say so to China, and to tell them to stop sending fighter jets to harass our airspace, and to stop exporting toxic food and products to our country.
What Taiwan actually needs is a seat at the World Health Assembly, but the official Web site of China’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva claims that China’s “one China principle” has become a widespread consensus of the international community.
It further claimed that Taiwanese do not have any reason or right to participate in UN bodies and other international organizations. China’s position is exasperating.
Tsai Mei-chu
Taipei
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
RSS