Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) yesterday said that he was infuriated by the Chinese “abduction” of Taiwanese nationals, calling on the nation and the public to “take action” to demand an unconditional release and return of the seized Taiwanese to Taiwan.
Su said China’s illegal behavior was deplorable, and that Beijing’s justification that it was based on the idea that Taiwan is part of China is unacceptable.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) asked whether the Kenya imbroglio was the “fruit of Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay’s (羅瑩雪) recent visit to China.”
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Su Chih-fen said the incident has proved that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) diplomatic policy has been based on a dead-end policy of “kneeling” to China.
She said that Luo had just come back from China, where the minister, according to the ministry, trumpeted the effect and the outlook of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement (海峽兩岸共同打擊犯罪及司法互助協議).
“Is China’s flagrant arrest of [our nationals] and returning them to Taiwan later under the table, or the internalizing of international affairs, what Luo’s visit to China delivered?” the lawmaker asked.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said China has “expanded its jurisdiction beyond all bounds,” putting all Taiwanese abroad at risk.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said that China’s action has destroyed the “tacit judicial agreement” between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that if China could force Taiwanese nationals abroad to be deported to its land, it could one day indict Taiwanese nationals abroad and have them forcibly sent to China.
“If every country follows what Kenya has done, the Chinese government could arrest Taiwanese nationals and send them to China for trial through its diplomatic allies,” former DPP legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said on Facebook yesterday.
“Beijing could use this tactic to fabricate accusations and then have those who fail to conform to Beijing’s political standards deported to China. This would have a chilling effect and seriously damage Taiwan’s sovereignty, human rights and democracy,” he said, calling on all Taiwanese to “get angry” and “protest to China and raise the country’s voice in the international community.”
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
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
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