The Ministry of Education should have a standing policy and administrative measures to combat the increasingly severe cultural and literary “united front” tactics employed by China, a national security source said.
The pro-China Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage is commissioning the Taipei-based Sheen Chuen-chi Cultural and Educational Foundation to host a “Zhonghua History and Culture Workshop” in July, the source said, citing Mainland Affairs Council sources.
High-school teachers in the subjects of Mandarin and history would be invited to give talks at the workshop in China’s Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, with Beijing providing room, board and transportation, the council said.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
While the commission is legal, it is nonetheless a move to influence high-school teachers with “united front” tactics, the source said.
The ministry should tell teachers that attending such events is not advised, as China has ulterior motives for covering their expenses, the source said.
These efforts are on the rise as restrictions for Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan grow stricter, while Taiwanese citizens going to China are relatively unhindered, due to freedom of movement as guaranteed by Taiwan’s democratic form of government, the source said.
The ministry should consider subsidizing academic-based travels or interaction to countries other than China, the source added.
The ministry should also adopt measures such as requiring all teachers to log a report to the ministry if they are going to China or disallowing teachers from taking a day off citing official business if they have accepted Chinese offers to pay for expenses, they said.
Taiwanese citizens must be aware that China will do everything in its power to attempt to subvert the nation’s sovereignty, particularly after the Chinese Communist Party issued Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) “five points” in January this year, the source said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Chun-hsien (李俊憲) on Saturday criticized the workshop as a cover for “united front” tactics as the administration is headed by Chinese National Cultural Heritage Administration Director Liu Yuzhu (劉玉珠).
The Sheen Chun-chi Cultural and Educational Foundation said the workshop aims to promote cross-strait interaction and the history of the “Zhonghua” people.
MORE ARRIVALS ALLOWED: Taiwan yesterday increased its cap on arrivals to 60,000 from 50,000 ahead of a full border opening with a weekly cap of 150,000 on Oct. 13 Travelers arriving in Taiwan from Oct. 13 would no longer be required to quarantine on arrival and visitors of all nationalities would be allowed to enter, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced yesterday. However, the number of arrivals would be capped at 150,000 per week, he added. Travelers aged two or older would be given four rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits on arrival and be asked to monitor their health for seven days, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a news conference. Under the new arrival protocol, travelers would have to take a test on the day of arrival or the day after, followed
SOVEREIGN NATION: The Chinese premier’s remarks about the CCP’s resolve to achieve unification sought to undermine the legitimacy of Taiwan, the MAC said Taiwan will never accept Beijing’s attempts to undermine its sovereignty, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its National Day celebrations in Beijing vowed to achieve unification with Taiwan. The CCP’s statement was not conducive to peaceful cross-strait relations, the council said. The event, hosted by the Chinese State Council, featured Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強), the other five CCP Politburo Standing Committee members and Vice President Wang Qishan (王岐山), as well as 500 guests from China and abroad. Taiwanese based in China also attended the ceremony, Xinhua news agency
Washington is evaluating a transfer of weapons systems requested by Taiwan, according to a copy of a report by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) that is to be submitted to lawmakers tomorrow. Asked whether the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile would be among the weapons systems, the ministry refused to comment, but said that it would not rule out announcing the specifics later this year. The ministry’s domestically sourced high-priority military investments include submarines, next-generation light frigates, rescue ships, advanced trainer jets and infantry fighting vehicles, the report said. Planned deals include F-16A and F-16B jet performance upgrades, navigation and targeting
DEFENSE-READY: The armament of the ‘Yushan’ allows for amphibious combat operations, the head of a firm involved in the ship’s construction said The navy yesterday took delivery of the first locally developed and built naval ship of more than 10,000 tonnes in a ceremony in Kaohsiung presided over by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The ROCS Yushan, an amphibious transport dock, was the result of a government-initiated indigenous shipbuilding project seeking to establish autonomy over national defense, Tsai said. She thanked CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台船), the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and the navy for their contributions. The military needs the best equipment to uphold peace and defend Taiwan as it faces military threats from China, Tsai said. The 153m long and 23m wide Yushan
RSS