The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation's just-concluded visit to China will be used by Beijing in its strategy to undermine the sovereignty of Republic of China, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official said yesterday.
"The government has its own timetable in cross-strait exchanges and remains in control of cross-strait issues," DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
"China gains the upper hand when the KMT goes and inks agreements with Beijing, and then returns to Taiwan and reports to the government afterward," Lee said.
"Taiwan's national interests and the people's well-being would be undermined as a result," Lee said.
The 10-point agreement reached between the KMT and Beijing covers a wide range of cross-strait issues, including direct charter flights, agricultural cooperation, tourism, protection for China-based Taiwanese businesspeople and the opening of the Chinese financial market.
Noting that the so-called 10-point proposal was not approved by the government but was nonetheless inked by the KMT and the CCP, Lee said the agreement therefore "in no way can it represent the 23 million people of Taiwan."
"With that in mind, we can't help but ask the KMT: Is Taiwan anarchy? Does the Taiwanese government no longer exist?" Lee said.
The DPP official also said the KMT had become a tool of Beijing to carry out its so-called "united front" tactics against Taiwan.
KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun's (
The visit gives Beijing a free hand in selecting which party it would like negotiate with and is thus oblivious to the feelings of the 23 million Taiwanese people, Lee said.
It also undermines Taiwan's democracy, he added.
"What' the difference between this [Beijing talking to its preferred party] and it treatment of its administrative regions, such as Hong Kong?" he said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by