Rules banning computers and cellphones issued by central and local government agencies from using Chinese social media Web sites and software are to be announced by the Executive Yuan before the end of the month, a source said.
Arrangements are also in place to announce guidelines for government agencies nationwide on purchasing and handling products purchased from Chinese-invested companies, the source said.
The guidelines would define what agencies should look out for when procuring telecommunications products made by Chinese-invested companies, as well as exceptions, they said.
They would also clearly define regulations stipulating that civil servants must not download or install any software that is not related to work on their work cellphones, they added.
Chinese social media to be banned include Tencent Weibo, Renren, Sina Weibo, Renren Network and WeChat, the source said.
Chinese search engine Baidu and Chinese photograph retouching apps would not be allowed on work cellphones and computers, they said.
The long-deliberated bans aim to prevent information security breaches from affecting national security, as well as to offer clearly defined regulations for all government agencies, they added.
The prohibitions are to be implemented in two steps, with the Executive Yuan announcing an administrative order by the end of this month and a complete list of banned software, services and Web sites to be finalized and announced in March, the source said.
The Executive Yuan declined to comment on how each agency would react or carry out such an order, saying only that final-stage talks were ongoing, they said.
Taobao and other Chinese online shopping platforms would not be included in the new bans, as they were already banned from work cellphones and computers used by civil servants, they added.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai