Former vice secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) Parris Chang (張旭成) recently wrote in the Formosa Post (玉山周報) that NSC Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起) visited China in 2005 when he was serving as a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator and that he was looked after by the Chinese government.
During his stay, he gave a speech at a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) school in which he spoke out against the US government’s sale of military items to Taiwan, a move that caused the US to suspect Su’s allegiance, Chang said.
TAKEN CARE OF
Chang said that apart from staying at a residence for senior party officials for three days, Su also made a speech to dozens of senior party members, leaders of the People’s Liberation Army and other senior national defense officials.
Chang said that Su openly attacked the US for selling military supplies to Taiwan and also criticized Washington for interfering in the peaceful resolution of cross-strait affairs. Chang said that this made the US suspicious of Su’s political opinions.
Su, who is currently in Panama with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), rejected Chang’s accusation, saying that his opposition to arms procurements was based on a referendum that showed a majority of Taiwanese did not approve of the sale.
Su said that he stood by his opposition, adding that he always showed respect for democracy, whether in Taiwan, China or the US.
SECURITY
Meanwhile, reporters asked Ma during an interview whether he felt Su’s younger brother, Su Yeong-chin (蘇永欽), had jeopardized national security by teaching constitutional law at China’s Zhejiang University.
Ma said that he “didn’t see that causing any problems at all.”
Ma said that Su Chi’s younger brother was an academic in public and civil law and that he had visited Beijing University and Tsinghua University several times as a professional, adding that his visits had nothing to do with the secretary-general.
Su Chi was also criticized after his wife, Chen Yue-ching (陳月卿), went to Beijing in April to promote her book.
Ma said Chen already promised that she would not go to China again.
Meanwhile, Su Chi said that Taiwan was a modern society in which everyone is entitled to freedom and that mutual respect is necessary.
He said he keeps his professional and private lives separate and does not talk to his wife about his work.
He also said that his wife does not talk to him about her affairs and that brothers and sisters may not necessarily know everything about each other.
Su Chi said this was what a modern society entails, compared with a feudal society, in which everyone would know one another’s business.
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