Entertainers with pro-Taiwanese independence “thoughts” should be “ashamed” to work in China, actress Lily Tien (田麗) told the Chinese-language Apple Daily yesterday, refusing to back down from social media posts that accused model and actress Lin Chi-ling (林志玲) of being a supporter of Taiwanese independence.
On Monday, Tien shared an article titled “Pro-Independence Lin Chi-ling is the Real Problem” on Chinese social media, following controversy over a purported pro-independence stance by Taiwanese actor Leon Dai (戴立忍).
Tien said Lin should clarify whether she supports Taiwanese independence, adding that the media should “go ask her” for answers.
“It is a matter of fact that [Lin] cannot deny her relatives are supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party... If you really harbor such thoughts, do not come here. You should be ashamed to make money in neidi,” Tien said.
Neidi (內地), which means “the interior” in Mandarin, has been used by Chinese and China-based Taiwanese artists to refer to China.
Tien said she did not feel sympathy for Dai, who early last month was the subject of a public furor in China, despite saying on two occasions that he does not support Taiwanese independence
“You cannot criticize the people of neidi and take jobs here,” Tien said.
Tien said that she is “a Taiwanese entertainer, but not pro-Taiwanese independence” and that she “highly supports” the so-called “declaration of anti-splittism,” a document rumored to be in the works in Beijing that Taiwanese entertainers would be required to sign before working in China, because “Taiwan and neidi should coexist peacefully, and Taiwan should not provoke anything.”
Tien, 49, received the Golden Bell Award for best actress in 2002 and is the ex-wife of People First Party Chairman James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) brother-in-law.
In recent years, Tien’s career has mostly been based in China and she is now married to a Chinese actor.
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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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,
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were