Shops and roads were closed and people were kept off the streets yesterday as part of a huge security effort to safeguard the Olympic torch as it wound its way through Kashgar.
Black-gloved security agents jogged alongside the flame during the relay through the streets of Kashgar.
Foreign journalists were not allowed along the route, where cheering bystanders shouted “Go China!” under sunny skies.
Xinjiang officials accompanied foreign journalists on a bus to the relay start — after which they were bused to the finish. The press pack was corralled into small pen-like areas, and police and officials patrolled to make sure reporters did not step outside the boundaries.
Senior government officials who arrived early refused to take questions from foreign journalists. Some of the students drafted in to cheer on the torch refused even to look in the direction of the press gallery, let alone answer questions.
A reporting handbook issued by the Xinjiang government had warned reporters who tried to cover “sudden incidents” — government-speak for protests —- that they would be “subject to site safety management instructions and told to leave.”
The local government had originally told visiting foreign reporters they would be allowed to talk to people lining the streets as the torch passed through Kashgar. But on Tuesday, reporters were told they would be banned from talking to anyone on the route and could only attend opening and closing ceremonies.
“Don’t be angry, we are still giving you reporting freedom,” one official said.
“It’s for your reporting convenience,” another said, explaining that it was to make life easier with so many people expected to turn up — even though ordinary people had been banned from the streets.
The heavy security in Xinjiang foreshadowed the treatment the torch was likely to be given when it makes a one-day stop in Lhasa on Saturday.
The flame was originally scheduled to go through Tibet yesterday or today and it was unclear why the date was changed. Relay organizers announced the new date yesterday.
The relay with 208 runners ended two hours after it started.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS