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.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan has signed six arms procurement offers from the US totaling more than NT$208 billion (US$6.59 billion) covering long-range precision strike systems, missile stockpile replenishment and joint production of large-caliber ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan as opposition lawmakers question the amount and procurement items, while the Presidential Office and defense ministry say that the full amount is necessary to safeguard Taiwan. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday briefed the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the defense budget for
RSS