The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) appointment of two generals from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command to its Central Military Commission signals that Beijing is heightening its military preparedness regarding Taiwan, a report said.
A Mainland Affairs Council report published last week said that He Weidong (何衛東) and Miao Hua (苗華), who both served in the Eastern Theater Command, were appointed as vice chairmen in the seven-person commission at last month’s 20th National Congress of the CCP.
At the congress, Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping (習近平) vowed to build China into a powerful nation with “Chinese modernization” that underlined national security and science education, the council said in its Third-Quarter Report on the Situation in Mainland China.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
Xi said he would institute a system to put the heads of the Central Military Commission at the highest command level to lead the country, it said.
Following joint exercises between the PLA Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force in August, China would seek to normalize military exercises with ASEAN members, it said.
The report said that the CCP added anti-Taiwanese independence language to its congress report, quoting it as saying that “solving Taiwan problems and realizing the complete unification is China’s historical mission,” and that Beijing “will never promise to give up the use of force.”
China would continue to push for more economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait in the hopes of achieving unification through integration, while continuing military threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan on the international stage, the report said.
The national congress report emphasized the importance of China’s autonomy in foreign affairs and opposition to foreign intervention in its domestic affairs, the council’s report said.
The CCP document also criticized the US’ Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act, which it said positioned China as “a competitor that reshapes international order.”
The council report also addressed China’s economic situation.
It said that China’s 3 percent economic growth in the first three quarters of the year, languishing housing market, rising fiscal deficit, record-high consumer price index and high unemployment rate led international institutions to lower their economic growth forecast for the county this year from 3.9 to 2.7 percent.
China’s strict “zero COVID-19” restrictions and electricity rationing have also stirred discontent among its citizens, the report said.
Beijing has asked social media personalities to promote the CCP’s ideology and “the shared consciousness toward the motherland of the Chinese people at home and abroad,” it said.
Regarding Xinjiang, Beijing continues to emphasize economic development and attempts to implement strict social controls, while in Hong Kong and Macau it has reiterated Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula of governance, it 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