The Parents Society of Overseas Students (
At a press conference yesterday, Taiwanese overseas students related their experiences abroad of foreigners confusing the People's Republic of China with the Republic of China. When the students told their friends they were from Taiwan, however, everyone would understand clearly where they were from, the students said.
"When I first went to Canada, I was asked by customs where I was from and I said ROC. The customs [officer] was suspicious and detained me for a while. Then I said I was from Taiwan and they immediately let me pass," said Michael Chiang (
Chiang also showed his registration certificate, which was not only misspelled but also said that he was from "the country of Tiawan, (Province of China)." He said he was angry when he saw that and protested to the university.
Way Chiu (
"For foreigners the issue is simple: China is China, and Taiwan is Taiwan. For me it is also like that. Mainland China is too far away for me to identify with. I much more closely identify with Houlung Creek [in Miaoli County] behind my home than with the Yangtze River or the Yellow River," Chiu said.
Meanwhile, some are calling for Taiwan to become a part of the US.
Richard Hartzell, an American who promotes human rights in Taiwan, said that according to his research, Taiwan could be regarded as an unincorporated part of US territory. He said that after Japan surrendered in World War II, it signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty with the US under which it relinquished control of Taiwan and Penghu.
Hartzell said that because the treaty said nothing about who was to take over control of Taiwan and Penghu it could be assumed that Japan had ceded them to the US, which had liberated them. Hartzell said he was hoping that he could get people to sign his petition to have the US Congress hold a hearing on Taiwan's status.
David Chou (
"When Taiwan decides on its future, US interests have to be taken into consideration otherwise it would not be viable," Chou said.
Chou said this was because the Taiwan Relations Act confirmed the position of the US as the protector and guardian of Taiwan and its people. It is not possible for the US to disregard its interests in Taiwan, so Taiwan has to have US interests in mind when making important decisions, he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
VIOLATION OF NORMS: China’s CCTV broadcast claimed that Beijing could use Interpol to issue arrest warrants, which the MAC slammed as an affront to order The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for attempts to intimidate Taiwanese through “transnational repression.” The council issued the remarks after state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday during a news broadcast aired a video targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), threatening him with “cross-border repression” and saying: “Stop now, or you will be next,” in what Taipei officials said was an attempt to intimidate not only Shen, but also the broader Taiwanese public. The MAC in a statement condemned the threat, accusing Beijing of trying to instill fear and self-censorship among Taiwanese and
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