The decision for Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) to meet with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) on Friday at the Sizihwan Sunset Beach Resort was made by the council, despite several warnings from the Greater Kaohsiung Government about security concerns over the venue, council Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said yesterday.
The strong protests that greeted Zhang at the resort led to the cancellation of several events scheduled for the final day of his trip, and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had tried to blame the municipal government for the disruptions.
Although protesters trailed Zhang throughout his four-day visit, the fiercest protests were in Greater Kaohsiung. Not only was there bloodshed during clashes between protesters and the police, some protesters were able to get close enough to splash white paint on Zhang’s motorcade and security personnel.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
As he left on Sunday evening for a state visit to Panama and El Salvador, Ma said that the Greater Kaohsiung Government had picked the resort, despite security concerns.
However, during a meeting hosted by the Democratic Progressive Party caucus at the Legislative Yuan to which officials from the council and the National Police Agency were invited to make a presentation on Zhang’s visit, Chang said the council made the decision.
“It was the Mainland Affairs Council that chose the beach resort as the meeting venue, and we immediately contacted the Greater Kaohsiung Police Department, asking it to evaluate whether the location had any security concerns,” Chang said. “We also asked the National Police Agency to make an assessment, and both the agency and the Kaohsiung police told us several times that there were no problems. We trusted their professional assessments.”
While Chang did not respond positively to questions from DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) on whether the municipality had warned the council about possible security concerns, the council’s planning department director, Hu Ai-ling (胡愛玲), said that the council did receive at least two warnings from Greater Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) and Greater Kaohsiung Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Syu Li-ming (許立明) that there could be security loopholes due to the venue’s landscape and its proximity to National Sun Yat-sen University.
Many students from the university took part in the Sunflower movement’s occupation of the Legislative Yuan’s main chamber in March during protests against the cross-strait service trade agreement.
Lawmakers also voiced concerns over the police’s handling of protesters and journalists.
Activists who had checked into a room at the Novotel at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Tuesday, were forcibly evicted from the room and prohibited from leaving the premises before Zhang arrived at the hotel on Wednesday for a meeting with Wang.
On Thursday, a reporter from the online news outlet NewTalk.tw, Lin Yu-yo (林雨祐), covering protesters trying to block Zhang’s motorcade from entering New Taipei City’s Wulai District (烏來) was threatened by police, who told him he risked arrest if he did not leave the scene immediately, even though he showed his press passes issued by the Legislative Yuan and the council for Zhang’s visit.
On Saturday, police asked customers at a restaurant next to a temple in Changhua County’s Lukang Township (鹿港) to leave ahead of a scheduled visit by Zhang to the temple, which was later canceled.
New Taipei City Police Department Deputy Commissioner Lin Tsung-huai (林聰槐) said that while Lin Yu-yo was not involved in any illegal conduct, “he was jumping around.”
Asked by DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) whether “jumping around” was illegal, Lin said “No,” but added: “He was bothering our colleagues at work, so they asked him to leave.”
Lin Yu-yo, who happened to be at the meeting, denied he had been “jumping around bothering officers” and asked police to show any video clips they had that could back up their claims.
National Police Agency Deputy Director-General Tsai Chun-chang (蔡俊章) first denied that officers had asked the restaurant patrons to leave, but later said they had only done so because the owner of the restaurant had asked the police officers for help.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS