The National Immigration Agency (NIA) has been criticized for not cracking down on a Chinese woman who has been in Taiwan illegally for more than a year, allegedly touring the nation in an elaborate “united front” (統戰) campaign.
Local media reports have alleged that Meng Ming (孟鳴), a Chinese national who came to Taiwan independently on a Hong Kong passport, has been meeting with retired Taiwanese military officials and engaging in political propaganda efforts on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Meng is said to be the daughter of a high-ranking general of the PLA Fourth Field Army, which is headquartered in Guangzhou City, and is representing herself as a PLA-affiliated official.
According to the Chinese-language Next Magazine, she entered Taiwan in September 2013 and has been in the country illegally for more than a year.
NIA officials said they were not able to track her whereabouts.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the NIA have come in for criticism because the woman allegedly entertained guests with a theatrical performance of a certain “PLA musical show” at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, as well as at the Friends of Armed Forces Association Building, which is administered by the ministry.
In a statement on Friday, the ministry acknowledged that its officials had been negligent and confirmed that Meng’s “PLA musical show” had taken place at MND-administered facilities.
“We have asked the Friends of Armed Forces Association to review its management and have requested all local facilities throughout Taiwan to improve the scrutiny of their guests, and to check up on the functions that rented venues are to be used for,” the statement said.
The ministry said that Meng’s “PLA musical show” was booked by the “Chinese Women Party” (中華婦女黨), which is a registered civic group.
Meanwhile, an NIA spokesperson said the agency is investigating the case and making an effort to track down Meng, and would deport her once she has been located.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS