Snowballing protests against the cross-strait service agreement are not affecting the government’s resolution to push the pact through the legislature by June, as President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated his order to the Cabinet that it must be ratified by then.
Ma, who also serves as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, reiterated the deadline during the party’s weekly Central Standing Committee meeting, which was also attended by Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺).
According to committee members, who asked to remain anonymous, Ma did not respond to the demands of the protesters at the Legislative Yuan during the meeting.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
At the meeting, Ma “commended” the way the KMT caucus had handled the trade pact and “expressed his appreciation to party lawmakers,” KMT officials said.
They quoted Ma as saying that the KMT caucus dealt with the issue in a “sensible, reasonable and legitimate” manner after KMT Policy Committee chief executive Lin Hung-chih’s (林鴻池) briefing on the matter.
The committee responded to Ma’s remarks with applause, the officials said.
KMT Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠) on Monday declared that the pact had cleared the committee stage without any of its articles being reviewed, prompting an occupation of the legislative chamber on Tuesday evening, mainly by students.
Along with the demand that the trade agreement be subject to a line-by-line review, the students said that Chang’s decision should be invalidated, Ma must apologize, Jiang should step down and the police must be withdrawn from the legislature.
They also called for legislation to increase supervision over cross-strait negotiations.
KMT officials said that Ma did not comment on what he thought Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) should do to end the occupation.
Earlier yesterday, when speaking to KMT caucus whips at a separate meeting, Ma urged the lawmakers to spare no efforts to get the trade pact ratified by June “lest the international community question our resolution, sincerity and credibility” in trade negotiations.
He told the whips that he hoped the endorsement and activation of the pact would bring about an “economic breakthrough” this year.
Jiang remained mum on the protest yesterday. However, late on Tuesday night, he called Wang and told him that he had given the National Police Agency the green light to intervene in the occupation.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun (孫立群) yesterday confirmed that Jiang called Wang and that they were in agreement on the urgency of restoring the “order” and “dignity” of the legislature as soon as possible.
Sun said the Executive Yuan would respect the way the Legislative Yuan handles the protesters after Wang said that he would call a meeting among caucus whips to map out a strategy to resolve the dispute.
Presidential Office spokesperson Lee Chia-fei (李佳霏) said that the office supported Wang’s call for an early resumption of normal legislative work and appropriate handling of the issue in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) said he regretted the “ignorance” of the students “committing acts in violations of laws and discipline.”
“They had no idea that they were used by politicians,” Wang said.
Citing Jesus saying on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Wang said he would like to pray for God to forgive the protesters because they had no idea what they are doing.
They acted like lawmakers who are often seen in the press engaging in scuffling, water-spraying, hair-pulling, occupation of the legislative podium, locking the doors to the entrance of the chamber and sleeping on the floor, Wang said.
“Taiwan is spiraling downward. Young friends, do you have a future?” he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
RSS