The government is preparing a raft of measures to ensure that Chinese officials visiting Taiwan must meet with both pan-blue and pan-green local governments, sources said.
The Mainland Affairs Council is committed to preventing Chinese officials visiting the nation for political rather than economic purposes, and it will not tolerate groups visiting only pan-blue local governments, sources said, adding that “strong measures” to be taken include denying visitor permits.
In September, the heads of eight pan-blue or independent local governments visited China to discuss tourism and agriculture. In October, a Chinese delegation visited the eight local governments, but canceled scheduled visits to cities and counties run by the Democratic Progressive Party.
The local governments are scheduled to send delegates to an agricultural trade show in Beijing later this month.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) on Sunday said that the central government recognized that county and city-level leaders have legitimate reasons for attending events relevant to tourism and trade issues, and their requests to send delegates have been granted.
However, local government leaders are reminded that any dealings their representatives have with Chinese officials must uphold the nation’s dignity; they are not authorized to sign any political or cooperative agreements; and the council expects each local government to give a full report of the proceedings within a month of their delegates’ return, he said.
The government supports cross-strait exchanges that facilitate the development of industry, tourism and agriculture, but Beijing must refrain from “inappropriately divisive” political acts, Chiu said.
Since President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration in May, China has suspended official cross-strait communications and reduced the number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit Taiwan in an apparent bid to pressure the administration to recognize the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted that he made up in 2000 — refers to a supposed understanding reached during cross-strait talks in 1992 that both Taiwan and China acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
An official said the government views the private sector’s cross-strait exchanges and the maintenance of friendly relations with China as important, and regulations on Chinese spouses, students and tourists are to be relaxed.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has proposed increasing the number of independent Chinese travelers from 5,000 to 6,000 per day and the maximum allowable length of stay from 15 to 30 days.
However, the Mainland Affairs Council blocked the latter proposal on grounds it could be exploited by Chinese who want to work in Taiwan illegally, sources said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
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