Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday demanded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explain whether Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) participated in an online posting that has been implicated in the suicide of a diplomat and was allegedly ordered by Yang Hui-ju (楊蕙如).
Led by KMT caucus whip William Tseng (曾銘宗), a group of KMT legislators and Taipei city councilors yesterday visited the ministry, demanding a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).
The group was stopped by police stationed and a scuffle ensued. After trying in vain to enter the building for 90 minutes, the politicians left.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday charged Yang and a man surnamed Tsai (蔡) — who shares an IP address with Yang — with insulting public official Su Chii-cherng (蘇啟誠), then director-general of the Osaka branch of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, in a posting on the Professional Technology Temple bulletin board.
The fabricated report said that the Chinese embassy in Tokyo sent buses to evacuate Chinese from Kansai International Airport after Typhoon Jebi forced the airport to close on Sept. 4 last year, leading some Internet users to criticize the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Japan, headed by Hsieh, for not offering Taiwanese similar assistance.
On Sept. 6, Tsai allegedly defended Hsieh in an online post and blamed the Osaka branch, headed by Su. The post called the Osaka branch officials “the remaining evil elements of the party-state.”
Photo: Chang Chung-i, Taipei Times
Su committed suicide at his residence eight days later.
Media reports speculated that his death might have be linked to work pressure caused by the criticism.
Later yesterday, KMT legislators Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) and Chen Yu-chen (陳玉珍) said that their hands were injured during the fracas at the ministry, adding that they had to seek treatment at a hospital.
Meanwhile, Tseng criticized the ministry for its treatment of the lawmakers.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that the ministry deals with foreign affairs and it is not a place for “politicians to put on a show.”
She urged politicians to exercise self-restraint and not to take advantage of civil servants to reap electoral benefits.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said in response to media queries about Yang’s case that while the fabricated report about Kansai International Airport was soon debunked, the story had sparked conflicting views and opinions.
“In its immediate aftermath, members of the KMT legislative caucus, along with certain commentators in the media, were the ones launching attacks against our foreign affairs officials and Taiwan’s representative office in Japan,” she said. “The judiciary investigated and the media then clarified the matter, so people should not distort and magnify the incident to disparage all levels of the government.”
The finger-pointing going on is not fair to the nation’s diplomats, who are diligent and dedicated to their jobs, she said.
The president was asked about her relationship with Yang after she was shown a 2008 photograph in which she was talking to a group of people that included Yang.
“I do not know her well. There was no personal friendship,” Tsai Ing-wen said.
Additional reporting by Peng Wan-hsin
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS