In retaliation for China's successful scheme to sever diplomatic ties between Chad and Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday said that they will push a proposal to block the proposed visit to Taiwan of the director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Yunlin (
DPP legislators Chuang Ho-tzu (莊和子), Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) and Hsueh Ling (薛凌) yesterday said that they would jointly propose a motion to request that the government deny Chen permission to visit Taiwan unless China recognizes Taiwan as a country with independent sovereignty.
"The people of Taiwan should understand China's ambition [to oppress Taiwan] in this incident. Unless China abolishes its `Anti-Secession Law,' we think that granting a visit to Taiwan to a high-ranking Chinese official who does not recognize Taiwan's independence would be an acknowledgement of that law and act of surrendering to China," Chai said yesterday.
Chai said that they would collect more lawmakers' signatures to facilitate their proposal, which will also request that the Executive Yuan suspend any policies to open up cross-strait exchanges.
DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
"It is an insult to Premier Su and it is quite obvious that China is targeting him," Hsiao said yesterday. "But it is fortunate that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs obtained the information of the break-off in advance, otherwise the aftermath of Premier Su's visit to Chad would be unimaginable."
DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) yesterday said that China had been resorting to every conceivable means to squeeze Taiwan's international space and that Chad's breaking ties with Taiwan was just the latest example of Beijing's malicious repression of Taiwan.
Yeh urged international society not to turn a blind eye to China's bullying.
"While many pan-blue camp leaders and lawmakers swarm to China and make pilgrimages to Beijing, Chinese authorities never give up their oppression of Taiwan. I urge all the Taiwanese people to clearly see China's true colors through this incident," Yeh said.
Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday denounced China's manipulation of Taiwan's ties with Chad, and said that Beijing's actions should be a wake-up call to people who insist on leaning toward China.
Yu reacted to the abrupt diplomatic switch through DPP spokesman Tsai Huang-liang (
Yu also criticized Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
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
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Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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