Seafood restaurant chain Hai Pa Wang’s statement that it supports the “one China” policy could create a “domino effect” that could affect other Taiwanese businesses, a Chinese academic said.
The company on Monday issued a statement in the form of an advert in the Chinese-language Want Daily, saying it supports Beijing’s “one China” principle and that it has no relationship with President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) family other than that between “a tenant and a landlord.”
“Hai Pa Wang firmly supports the idea that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China and our commitment to a peaceful win-win situation across the Strait is unshakable,” the statement read.
The restaurant chain — which has branches in Taiwan and China — has been viewed as supporting Taiwanese independence, with investors said to have close ties to Tsai.
It was recently fined by Chinese authorities for allegedly mislabeling products made at its factory in Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province.
In an editorial in the Global Times, Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies deputy director Ni Yongjie (倪永杰) said Hai Pa Wang’s public statement is the first pro-Beijing message to come from from a pan-green business group and might have a “domino effect” on other Taiwanese businesses.
Statements by the government accusing Beijing of political interference in fining Hai Pa Wang are “naive” and “glib,” Ni said.
Hai Pa Wang’s statement is “the first shot” showing the divide between Taiwanese businesses and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, he said.
Beijing must “strike as the law requires” against entities that promote Taiwanese independence, he added.
Ni was referring to Mainland Affairs Council Minister Katharine Chang’s (張小月) statement calling on Beijing to stop “putting political labels” on Taiwanese businesses and a Presidential Office statement accusing Beijing of political interference in the affairs of Taiwanese businesspeople in China.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) said that Hai Pa Wang was fined for failing sanitation inspections, adding that it was a legal move and was not politically motivated.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS