World Uyghur Congress president Rebiya Kadeer has canceled plans to visit Taiwan due to the intervention of “specific individuals,” the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said yesterday.
Kadeer told TSU Chairman Liu I-te (劉一德), when they met in Tokyo on Monday to discuss the planned visit, that “it is not the optimal time to visit Taiwan” and she should not undertake the visit “until further consideration,” the TSU said.
Kadeer’s decision was based on concern about potential political repercussions in Taiwan of such a visit, but she still expressed willingness to visit, the TSU said.
Kadeer last month released a video announcing that she had accepted the TSU’s invitation to visit and she reiterated her willingness to visit at a meeting with leaders of Japan-based and Taiwan-based Uighur associations in Tokyo on Saturday last week.
The TSU members were told that, just prior to their meeting with Kadeer on Monday, some “specific individuals” had met with Kadeer and dissuaded her from visiting Taiwan.
The TSU did not reveal the identity of the individuals or their affiliation, but the party criticized them, saying they prevented a world-renowned human rights advocate from visiting.
“Saying that it is not the best timing for Kadeer to visit Taiwan is simply absurd,” Liu said.
With the election of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the growing public aversion to Chinese aggression and US President Donald Trump’s approach with China, “it is the best time for Kadeer to visit Taiwan,” Liu said.
“Taiwan should not limit itself out of fear of China’s ire,” Liu said. “Tsai should counter Chinese pressure with fearless determination and concrete action.”
The party spent two months organizing Kadeer’s trip — which was to begin at the end of next month — and was ready to help gain government approval for a visa for her.
“It would be the pride of Taiwanese to have Kadeer, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, to visit Taiwan, while the Chinese Communist Party would be most delighted to see the cancelation,” TSU Department of Organization director Chang Chao-lin (張兆林) said.
The TSU said it understood Kadeer’s decision and would continue its efforts to invite her and others campaigning against Chinese aggression to Taiwan to make the nation a basis of resistance against China.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS