Lawmakers yesterday strongly protested a possible move by the Executive Yuan to reject a bill that lifts a ban on the so-called "small three links."
The Offshore Islands Development Act, passed by the legislature on Tuesday, allows Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu to open direct trade, transport and communications links with China.
The bill stipulates that the government can establish the links on a trial basis before the rest of Taiwan is fully opened up.
However, Premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said on Thursday that the lifting of the ban may threaten Taiwan's security, and that the Cabinet needs to discuss whether the bill should be returned to the Legislative Yuan for a second review.
Siew's remarks immediately triggered strong reaction from legislators, especially those elected from Kinmen and Matsu who have worked for years to have the bill passed.
Residents of outlying islands have long awaited the passing of the bill, hoping the links will boost their local economy.
"The government should not turn a blind eye to [the populations of the outlying islands]," said KMT legislator Chao Erh-chung (
Chao added that all three of the leading presidential candidates had promised to remove the ban on the three links -- communication, transportation and shipping.
KMT candidate Lien Chan (
"This promise should not be affected just because they were defeated in the presidential race," Chao said.
New Party legislator Lee Chu-feng (
"The soldiers in Kinmen dare not open fire. They have to talk nicely to the Chinese fishermen [who come into Taiwan's waters] to ask them to go back," Lee said.
"As the government cannot do anything about these Chinese people, it has tried to restrict us from keeping contact with them," Lee added.
Rather than keeping the ban, the government should lift it to better regulate immigration and show a friendly gesture to improve cross-strait relations, he said.
Lee threatened to mobilize the residents from the offshore islands to stage a demonstration in Taipei if the bill is rejected.
In response, Lin Chong-pin (
Lin said the Cabinet will conduct a detailed evaluation and make a decision next Thursday on how to handle the bill.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from