The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it would propose amendments to echo President William Lai’s (賴清德) call for a “disclosure mechanism” for Taiwanese officials to travel to China.
Lai on Thursday called for a “disclosure mechanism” to ensure central and local government officials remain transparent and accountable to the public when visiting China for exchanges.
“From government officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and borough wardens, all should make exchange information public and transparent to be accountable,” Lai said at a news conference at the Presidential Office.
Photo: Reuters
Calling China a “foreign adversary” in his speech, Lai added that the “disclosure mechanism” for organizations is intended to prevent Beijing’s “interference and united front efforts.”
DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) yesterday said party legislators are working with government officials, including at national security agencies, to enact the 17 proposals Lai made at Thursday’s national security meeting.
The caucus has drafted bills for some of the proposals and held discussions for others, she said.
The legislature must consider national security to be the top priority for every session in the face of China’s increasingly dangerous and sophisticated strategies to infiltrate Taiwanese society, she said.
The proposed changes would require lawmakers and elected representatives at the special municipality and county-level councils to obtain approval before traveling to China, she said.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) on Friday said the council urged Taiwanese to report to the government before traveling to China to protect their safety.
Meanwhile, a Ministry of the Interior official yesterday said benign, orderly and equitable exchanges with China are permitted for non-profit organizations and religious groups.
Religious groups are allowed to visit China, but must request approval from the Taiwanese government to sign any agreement, they said.
People involved in these exchanges should be vigilant about guarding their personal information against government-directed espionage or exploitation by fraudulent groups, they said.
Taiwanese planning to travel to China could voluntarily report to the Ministry of the Interior’s online platform “dynamic registry system for citizens traveling in China” (赴陸動態登錄系統), they said.
The record would allow the government to provide legal or other forms of assistance in case of an emergency that endangers the Taiwanese traveler, the official said.
Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin, Fang Wei-li and CNA
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first