Taiwanese are banned from holding positions in the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), Confucius Institutes and other organizations affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after revisions to a list of prohibited groups took effect yesterday.
The original list was announced in 2004 after a 2003 amendment to Article 33-2 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) prohibited Taiwanese from holding positions, or being members of political or military organizations of the CCP that have been identified by the MAC in consultation with other authorities.
Those contravening the rule are subject to punishment based on Article 90 of the act.
Photo: Taipei Times
Government officials, mayors of special municipalities and government workers who have handled diplomatic or national security matters face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to NT$500,000.
“The list had not been revised for more than 20 years, while the CCP has conducted major personnel adjustments multiple times. As such, the list needs to be revised as it no longer accurately reflects the status quo of the CCP,” the council said.
The list was revised based on the structure of the CCP, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Chinese government, the council said, adding that it clearly states the names of the CCP-backed political and military organizations.
More political organizations have been added to the list, including the ARATS, Confucius Institutes, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots and the All-China Youth Federation, the MAC said, adding that the list also identifies related agencies, offices and branches.
“We consider it appropriate that the list includes all these political organizations and their affiliated agencies, as the CCP can change the names of organizations to evade oversight by Taiwanese authorities,” the council said.
The agencies on the list should be closely monitored, as they are part of China’s “united front” work to confound the national identity and loyalty of Taiwanese and compromise national security, it said.
“The political and economic systems of Taiwan and China are different,” it said. “When seeking employment in China, Taiwanese should carefully assess the risks and be sure to abide by government regulations.”
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
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DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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