Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
During a meeting of the Home and Nations Committee yesterday, 46 KMT legislators, including Lee Chi-chu (
The amendment proposes that the government not be permitted to bar Taiwanese businesspeople from investing in mass produced items in China because to do so would violate international treaties.
Lee said the amendment would benefit Taiwan's semiconductor, liquid-crystal-display panel, packaging and petrochemical industries.
But Chen told the committee meeting that the government had considered international treaties, national defense and the economy when it barred investments in those industries in China.
"I don't think it is really a thorough proposal if legislators who proposed this amendment simply considered international treaties as the only factor," he said.
"The amendment would have widespread impact. We need to be meticulous about it," he said.
He said government polls over the past three years had showed that more than 50 percent of the respondents expect the government to tighten restrictions on China-bound investments. Only around 30 percent of respondents thought the restrictions should be loosened.
"Judging from these surveys, most people think it is necessary for the government to tighten regulations on investments, otherwise core industries or major high-tech processes will be moved from Taiwan to China," he said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator David Huang (
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuo Jung-chung (
Lee said that although Taiwan's information technology industries faced massive competition from their international counterparts, they had been hindered by the restrictions on China-bound investment, which had reduced their competitiveness.
"It is essential, therefore, to allow those items," Lee said.
The committee chairman, Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Legislator Tsai Hau (
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest