A controversial draft bill that would enhance the powers of the National Security Bureau’s Special Service Center (SSC) appears unlikely to clear the legislature before it goes into recess on Wednesday.
The recess date would also informally mark the end of the seventh legislature, with the statutory end date set for Dec. 31, because the legislature will only convene after lawmakers for the eighth term are elected in the Jan. 14 polls.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday called an inter-party negotiation to determine the agenda for the last plenary session from Monday through Wednesday. The security bill was not on the agenda.
Since the Democratic Progressive Party and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union’s caucus whips have said they would not endorse the bill, the proposal would have to be put to a vote for it to proceed to its second and third reading on the floor.
If passed, the bill — initiated and supported by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus — would grant the SSC the power to direct the military and civilian police and the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau in judicial investigations.
The Taiwan Association for Human Rights has opposed the bill, which it says violates civil rights and would represent a step in the wrong direction for human rights.
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
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