China said yesterday it had returned all mail and parcels found with a postmark supporting Taiwan's entry into the UN because the wording promotes independence.
"Taiwan authorities preaching `Taiwan independence' through postal services has infringed on Taiwan compatriots' freedom of communication," said Fan Liqing (范麗青), a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office.
"This has seriously impaired the exchanges of letters between people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as Taiwan people's exchanges with other parts of the world," Fan told reporters.
The "UN for Taiwan" postmarks are part of a campaign ahead of a referendum planned in March on whether Taiwan should apply to join the UN under the name Taiwan instead of its official title the Republic of China.
The slogan also appears on public posters and on some shop receipts, sometimes along with a picture of President Chen Shui-bian (
Media reports earlier this month said Chinese authorities demanded recipients of letters stamped with the logo, mostly the 1 million Taiwan businesspeople based in China, sign a statement denouncing the UN bid to receive them.
But Fan said they were merely sent back.
"Letters of this kind have been returned according to regulations," she said.
Taiwan Post Co said 152 letters stamped with the mark were returned between Oct. 1 and Nov. 13 from China.
It said the mark only goes on the letters of those who agree to have it, adding that the postmark will remain available until Dec. 31.
In response, the Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement last night lashing out at the Chinese government, saying that putting postmarks on letters did not violate international conventions.
The council urged Beijing to abide by international practice and deliver the mail to recipients instead of intercepting and returning it to senders.
"It is common for countries to put commemorative postmarks or logos on mail," the statement said.
The council called on China to stop such an "uncivilized practice" and promote the "freedom of communication" between people on both sides of the Strait.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was
RSS