The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Saturday evening denied an accusation from China that Taiwan has been recruiting Chinese students to spy on it, and called on Beijing not to prevent Chinese nationals from studying in Taiwan.
“Taiwan is a free democracy ruled by the law. The government has welcomed Chinese students to study in the nation with the aim of promoting diversity on campus and improving understanding among the younger generations across the [Taiwan] Strait. Chinese students studying in Taiwan enjoy freedom and human rights protected by the government,” the council said in a statement.
The council urged Beijing not to undertake “political manipulation targeting Chinese students studying in Taiwan” and not to make untrue claims about Taiwanese engaging in espionage.
.jpg)
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
China should not interfere with the nation’s freedom, democracy and rule of law, it added.
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday also denied the accusations, adding that “there is no need to be affected by them.”
State broadcaster China Central Television on Saturday reported on alleged increased espionage activities by Taiwanese authorities and urged Chinese students studying in Taiwan to take caution.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office also demanded that Taiwanese authorities put an end to its “destructive intelligence activities.”
Despite China’s protest over the alleged espionage attempts, it has been carrying out acts of espionage targeting Taiwanese military personnel and veterans for many years, the ministry said.
In September last year, Chinese spy Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭) was found guilty of contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) after he attempted to obtain classified material from government officials.
Retired army major general and former commander of the Air Defense Missile Command Hsieh Chia-kang (謝嘉康) was investigated for allegedly leaking classified information to China, although prosecutors later dropped the charges against him.
To counter Beijing’s espionage activities, the military carries out unannounced loyalty tests and has required military personnel to inform supervisors of their contact with any Chinese nationals, a source said, adding that military personnel who help catch a Chinese spy would receive a cash reward.
Additional reporting by CNA
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about 1,900 as
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
Right-wing political scientist Laura Fernandez on Sunday won Costa Rica’s presidential election by a landslide, after promising to crack down on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade. Fernandez’s nearest rival, economist Alvaro Ramos, conceded defeat as results showed the ruling party far exceeding the threshold of 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff. With 94 percent of polling stations counted, the political heir of outgoing Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves had captured 48.3 percent of the vote compared with Ramos’ 33.4 percent, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said. As soon as the first results were announced, members of Fernandez’s Sovereign People’s Party
MORE RESPONSIBILITY: Draftees would be expected to fight alongside professional soldiers, likely requiring the transformation of some training brigades into combat units The armed forces are to start incorporating new conscripts into combined arms brigades this year to enhance combat readiness, the Executive Yuan’s latest policy report said. The new policy would affect Taiwanese men entering the military for their compulsory service, which was extended to one year under reforms by then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in 2022. The conscripts would be trained to operate machine guns, uncrewed aerial vehicles, anti-tank guided missile launchers and Stinger air defense systems, the report said, adding that the basic training would be lengthened to eight weeks. After basic training, conscripts would be sorted into infantry battalions that would take
RSS