The Ministry of Culture yesterday cautioned China-based Taiwanese artists against breaching Taiwanese law by taking part in China’s National Day celebrations.
The ministry issued the statement following media reports that Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) is to sing a popular Chinese patriotic song titled My Motherland (我的祖國), and Angela Chang (張韶涵) is to sing Protect (守護) with Chinese entertainers at an event to mark China’s National Day on Thursday.
The Mainland Affairs Council is investigating whether such behavior contravenes regulations in the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the ministry said.
If the behavior involves matters overseen by the ministry, it will cooperate with the council to handle the matter according to the law, it said.
Citing Article 33-1 of the act, the ministry said: “Unless permitted by each competent authorities concerned, no individual, juristic person, organization, or other institution of the Taiwan Area may engage in any of the following activities: 1. Any form of cooperative activity with the agencies, institutions, or organizations of the Mainland Area which are political parties, the military, the administration or of any political nature, or which are involved in any political work against Taiwan or affect national security or interests. 2. Any cooperative activity involving political nature with any individual, juristic person, organization, or other institution of the Mainland Area.”
According to Article 90-2 of the act, any person who breaches the provision can be fined NT$100,000 to NT$500,000, with the possibility of consecutive fines according to the number of times the provision was breached, the ministry added.
The council on Saturday said that the purpose of Beijing arranging for Taiwanese to participate in its National Day celebrations was to promote its “one country, two systems” principle, and called on Taiwanese not to support or assist its “united front” tactics.
In related news, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) yesterday responded to media reports about comments made by an Amis man surnamed Yang (楊) at the 12th Straits Forum in Xiamen, China, on Sept. 20.
Media reports said that Yang made comments, such as “both sides of the Taiwan Strait have the same language and origin, and are connected by blood,” “I am a proud Chinese” and “I resolutely oppose splitting the nation.”
Research from Taiwanese and foreign academics has shown that Taiwanese Aborigines belong to the Austronesian family, the CIP said, adding that Taiwan is the “birthplace” of Austronesians.
“Aborigines are not yan huang zisun [炎黃子孫, “descendants of emperors Yan and Huang”],” the CIP said, adding: “Nor are they Chinese.”
They do not have the “same language and origin,” it added.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua and Chen Hui-ling
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
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
RSS