The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday declined an invitation from China for Taiwan to take part in a series of memorial events to mark the end of World War II, as well as the end of the Japanese rule of Taiwan.
“We believe that it is inappropriate for incumbent government officials to take part in memorial events and a military parade hosted by mainland China,” MAC Deputy Minister Wu Mei-hung (吳美紅) said. “As for retired government officials and civil servants, there is a set of regulations regarding their visits to mainland China that they should abide by.”
While private citizens are not barred from attending such events by any law, “they should take into consideration how society may perceive that before making a decision.”
Democratic Progressive Party spokesperson Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said that China’s war against Japan had little to do with Taiwan, and that it is the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that should be worried about such an invitation.
“The KMT’s education system told us that it had led the war that eventually resulted in China’s victory over Japan at the end of World War II, and I believe the Chinese Communist Party has another version of the story,” Cheng said. “So it is the KMT that should be worried about the battle of political ideologies.”
Cheng said that the decision on whether to participate in such events is irrelevant and that what really matters are frequent visits by retired high-ranking military officers and civilian officials to China, as they may take — as many have already done — classified military intelligence, information or technology to China.
“That is what we should really worry about,” he said.
The remarks were made in response to an invitation that China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Fan Liqing (范麗青) made during a press conference in Beijing yesterday morning.
“We welcome Taiwanese compatriots to participate in memorial activities, and hope people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait can always remember history, cherish the memory of martyrs and rally together through war victory activities,” she said, adding that the victory belongs to “the entire nation.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is to oversee a military parade, reception and evening gala for the anniversary, which is likely to be marked in September, and will invite leaders from major participants in the war, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, although it has not said which leaders.
China is also to hold a series of events this year to mark the end of Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan, Fan added, without providing details.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
RSS