Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) yesterday questioned the use of the “begonia” map in the armband insignia of some branches of the military.
The “begonia” map, so named because it resembles a begonia leaf, depicts an extended swath of pre-1949 Republic of China (ROC) territory, which notably includes Outer Mongolia.
Hsu said the use of the “begonia” map in the insignia symbolizes a “greater China mindset,” and urged the military to change it.
Graphic courtesy of the office of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh
New insignia could use images symbolic of Taiwan, such as the Formosan black bear or the Taiwan blue magpie, Hsu said.
Hsu was speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, suggesting a review of the stipulations in the Armed Forces Uniform Act (陸海空軍服制條例) and other relevant laws.
Hsu compared the issue to past discussions about the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) emblem, which has been said to closely resemble the national emblem, and is therefore no longer appropriate as Taiwan is no longer a one-party state.
Similarly, the military armband insignias do not reflect the current situation in Taiwan, he said.
Military insignias also do not need to incorporate the national emblem, he said, citing US military insignia, some of which do not use the bald eagle.
Army Lieutenant General Fang Mao-hung (房茂宏) said the use of the map in the insignia was in accordance with the national territory described in the ROC Constitution.
The map includes territory effectively under the government’s administration, as well as that constitutionally recognized, but not under the government’s administrative control, he said.
“The entire military is loyal to the nation, loyal to the Constitution and executes orders in accordance with the law. This must not be questioned,” he said.
Hsu asked why the insignia used by the Republic of China Marine Corps still uses the “begonia” map, despite being redesigned in April 2019.
Military insignia should not be bound to tradition, which would cause divisiveness, Hsu said.
He also cautioned against the use of the national emblem on the hats of military personnel, saying its resemblance to the KMT emblem could cause confusion.
“There is no problem with the military being loyal to the Republic of China, Taiwan. However, it should consider more neutral designs for emblems to avoid ideological problems,” he said.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
RSS