Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday defended a controversial trip to China by party Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) as “brave,” even as Hsia faced protests upon his return to Taiwan.
The timing of Hsia’s trip generated controversy, as the KMT delegation arrived in China on Aug. 10, six days after Beijing launched a high-pressure military and economic campaign against Taiwan following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei from Aug. 2 to 3.
Chu said that Hsia and other members of the delegation were “very brave and determined,” and it was important to keep lines of communication open to prevent conflict.
Photo: CNA
Members of Taiwan Statebuilding Party on Saturday led a protest at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon Hsia’s arrival, holding signs saying that he was selling out Taiwan and demanding that Hsia and the members of his delegation be sent back to China.
During a virtual news conference held shortly after returning, Hsia said the trip across the Taiwan Strait was aimed at looking after the needs of Taiwanese living in China.
He said he used his meetings with Chinese officials to convey the concerns of the Taiwanese community in the country over Beijing’s military drills around Taiwan.
He told his hosts that the military exercises were not helpful to peaceful development, and that the vast majority of Taiwanese were uneasy, worried and dissatisfied with the drills, he said.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that Hsia was playing politics ahead of November’s local elections and that his visit played into Beijing’s “united front” efforts.
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
EMBRACING TAIWAN: US lawmakers have introduced an act aiming to replace the use of ‘Chinese Taipei’ with ‘Taiwan’ across all Washington’s federal agencies A group of US House of Representatives lawmakers has introduced legislation to replace the term “Chinese Taipei” with “Taiwan” across all federal agencies. US Representative Byron Donalds announced the introduction of the “America supports Taiwan act,” which would mandate federal agencies adopt “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei,” a news release on his page on the US House of Representatives’ Web site said. US representatives Mike Collins, Barry Moore and Tom Tiffany are cosponsors of the legislation, US political newspaper The Hill reported yesterday. “The legislation is a push to normalize the position of Taiwan as an autonomous country, although the official US
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
RSS