The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) plan to implement a People’s Republic of China patriotism education act targeting Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong is aimed at suppressing political opinions it opposes inside and outside of China, Taiwanese academics said yesterday.
The draft act was first proposed for review by the Chinese National People’s Congress on Monday, the China News Service reported.
“The [Chinese] state will take measures to enact historical and cultural education, and educate people on the condition of the nation, to allow more people in the special regions of Hong Kong, Macau and our compatriots in Taiwan to recognize and identify with the state, and the traditional zhonghua [Chinese, 中華] culture, allowing them to consciously uphold the unification of the country, and the unity of the people,” a draft article says.
Photo: Reuters
In Taipei, Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association member Wang Chih-sheng (王智盛) said that China has adopted this mindset for the “Taiwan issue,” with its emphasis on both sides observing the same traditions to strengthen their historical ties.
Passing legislation on this facet would provide Chinese government agencies with a legal basis to promote more “united front” rhetoric against Taiwan, Wang added.
Cross-Strait Policy Association researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said that the draft legislation attempts to consolidate efforts to fan patriotism among people and indoctrinate Chinese that “Taiwan is part of China.”
Legalizing such concepts is mostly a propaganda effort directed toward Chinese and would have little to no effect on how Taiwanese identify themselves, Wu said.
Hong Kong has also stepped up “patriotic education” in recent years to reinforce Hong Kongers’ identification with China and the Chinese identity, Wu said.
It is evident from the CCP’s slew of legislation, such as the Anti-espionage Act (反間諜法) and the proposed bill, that Beijing is seeking to suppress any dissenting voices within China, Wu said, adding that the government should issue a warning that Taiwanese traveling to China might be at risk.
The Mainland Affairs Council had yet to comment on the issue as of press time.
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
The arrival of a cold front tomorrow could plunge temperatures into the mid-teens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Temperatures yesterday rose to 28°C to 30°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and 32°C to 33°C in central and southern Taiwan, CWA data showed. Similar but mostly cloudy weather is expected today, the CWA said. However, the arrival of a cold air mass tomorrow would cause a rapid drop in temperatures to 15°C cooler than the previous day’s highs. The cold front, which is expected to last through the weekend, would bring steady rainfall tomorrow, along with multiple waves of showers
RSS