Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Policy Committee director Alex Tsai (蔡正元) sparked controversy by sharing an article that said Taiwan has to be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to complete its “historic mission” of unification.
“It marked the end of the Republic of China [ROC] when the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] assumed leadership of the ROC. Taiwan has to be united [with China] by the CCP to complete its historic mission,” media personality Liu Yi-hung (劉益宏) wrote in an article, which was posted by Tsai on Sina Weibo, the largest Chinese microblogging Web site.
Liu published the article on Facebook on Friday, saying: “The KMT and CCP are vying for the right to represent China, and both support the ‘one China’ principle. The ROC and People’s Republic of China [PRC] are in fact two nations fighting against each other for the sake of one [Chinese] nation, which can only be accomplished when either the ROC or the PRC is eliminated.”
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
“The PRC represents China, and Taiwan can only be a part of China, while the ROC in Taiwan comes to an end when it is under the DPP’s rule,” the article said.
“The idea of Taiwanese independence has spread and the CCP has to shoulder its historic responsibility [to unite Taiwan with China],” it added. “Politicians, especially Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), have to make the decision at this critical moment.”
Several Taiwanese critized Tsai for sharing the article, which they said was welcoming a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Saying that political leaders across party lines were working to eliminate discrimination and hatred amid the recent controversy surrounding discriminatory remarks by self-styled citizen journalist Hung Su-chu (洪素珠) against an elderly waishengren (外省人, Mainlander) — a term referring to people who fled to Taiwan with the KMT in 1949 after its defeat in the Chinese Civil War — DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said Tsai, in his capacity as a KMT official, was acting inappropriately by sharing an article that seemingly welcomed a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan.
“Is KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) behind Tsai’s move? Is the opinion of the leader of a KMT committee also the KMT’s policy?” Wang asked in a Facebook post.
To put the KMT on track, Hung Hsiu-chu should oversee the conduct of party members and ask Tsai to remove the article, deliver a public apology and promise not to make the same mistake again, Wang said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old