Beijing has launched a propaganda campaign targeting China-based Taiwanese businesses in an attempt to sway the outcome of next year’s presidential election, National Cheng Kung University professor of political science Hung Chin-fu (洪敬富) said yesterday.
China is trying to curb the exodus of Taiwanese businesses amid its trade spat with the US, Hung said, adding that more than 300 Taiwanese companies have signed up for an information session about Beijing’s Greater Bay Area project.
Announced in February, the project aims to integrate the economies of Hong Kong and Macau with nine cities in neighboring Guangdong Province.
China wants Taiwanese companies to participate in the project to gain leverage in the trade dispute and manipulate the outcome of the election, he said.
Beijing has been promoting the project as a demonstration of the merits of its “one country, two systems” formula, and has invited several Taiwanese politicians to visit the cities targeted by the project and discuss its implementation.
Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) have visited the area, and New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) last month visited Beijing, where he discussed the project, local media have reported.
China has also invited Taiwanese media companies to the area and plans to invite Taiwanese students to participate in co-ops this summer, Hung said.
Beijing has been trying to convince Taiwanese that the nation’s economy can only grow if it is tied to China’s and that this could only happen if they elect a president who supports the “one China, two systems” formula, he said.
China is gearing up for a protracted trade dispute with the US and hopes that the project will alleviate domestic concerns, while also showing Washington that it is “not afraid to fight,” Hung said.
Beijing’s efforts to lure Taiwanese firms into investing in the project amid a mass exodus of foreign investors and capital clearly shows that China is in crisis, Academia Sinica Institute of Sociology research fellow Lin Thung-hong (林宗弘) said.
Beijing’s ultimate goal is unification with Taiwan under the “one country, two systems” framework and the trade spat wold not have any effect on that, said international relations researcher Chang Kuo-cheng (張國城), who is also deputy dean of general education at Taipei Medical University.
If the project does not offer any significant new incentives, Taiwanese firms would not be easily convinced to invest in it, he added.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS