Members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) yesterday accused Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) of trying to nullify security laws and undermine national sovereignty in the legislature after returning from China.
Fu led 16 KMT lawmakers and a number of party officials on a visit to China earlier this week, and soon after returning has been vigorous in his efforts to amend the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and other national security laws, TSP secretary-general Wu Hsin-tai (吳欣岱) told a news conference in Taipei.
People are seeing KMT lawmakers colluding with China to subvert Taiwan’s sovereignty by planning to nullify punishments, Wu said, also accusing Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers of collaborating with the KMT to diminish the public’s will to fight for Taiwan.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“We have these so-called opposition parties sitting in the legislature who are willing collaborators for China, so who needs an enemy?” Wu said, demanding that DPP legislators stand firm.
TSP Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) said that China has been bullying Taiwan for decades, now with constant military intimidation.
“But Fu sees none of that and instead loves going to China, always speaking of the need to depend on the Chinese market for Taiwan to have economic prosperity,” Chang said. “Decoupling links to China has become a common trend among democratic nations, but Fu and other KMT members want to do the reverse.”
However, Beijing officials belittled Fu and his delegation, as they offered very little in return for their visit and did not open up and allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan as Fu had hoped for, Chang added.
Separately yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) responded to Fu on Wednesday pressuring other lawmakers to change the word “China” to “mainland” and “nation” to “Taiwan” in legislation.
“I think this action is not necessary, and Taiwanese would find it quite unbelievable,” he told a hearing at the legislature. “Official government papers have long had a tradition of finding an appropriate way when addressing the country across the Taiwan Strait, therefore I think everyone should respect such tradition.”
Meanwhile, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said he sees no need to change the terminology.
“In the past, people have used various terms when at different events; some spoke of China, others of the mainland,” he said. “It is still what people use during those occasions, but it points out that across the Taiwan Strait are two separate political entities.”
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) castigated Fu’s trip as groveling to Chinese leaders and taking instructions.
“Fu’s actions speak volumes,” she said.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS