Police on Sunday said they are on alert after the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP) invited an alleged top leader of a Japanese criminal organization to visit Taiwan.
The party and a branch of the Hongmen society reportedly invited Joji Uezu from the Kyokuryu-kai, the only yakuza group in Okinawa designated by Japanese police, to visit Taiwan along with six other people.
Members of Taiwan’s Bamboo Union (竹聯幫) have reportedly participated in events hosted by the Kyokuryu-kai as early as 2015.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The Okinawa Times in 2018 reported that Chang Wei (張瑋), son of former Bamboo Union leader and CUPP founder Chang An-le (張安樂), led a group to attend a meeting with high-level figures in the Kyokuryu-kai, drawing concern from Japanese law enforcement, sources said.
Uezu also met Chang An-le in Taiwan that same year and shared photographs of their meeting on Facebook.
The group reportedly arrived in Taiwan on Sunday and plans to visit the Dasi Mausoleum in Taoyuan where former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) is interred.
They are also scheduled to dine with Chang An-le in Taoyuan’s Bade District (八德) and visit the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Legislative Yuan in Taipei before flying back tomorrow, reports said.
Police said they are to keep an eye on their activities while they are in Taiwan.
Reports have said that the CUPP and other pro-unification groups have been holding more gatherings lately as campaigning begins for January next year’s presidential and legislative elections.
The visiting group plans to attend at least two large banquets while in Taiwan, police said, adding that they are not sure of the intentions behind the gatherings.
GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The CGA’s nonmilitary role makes it a tool to avert diplomatic issues, an official said, while confirming the donation of a ship to Manila Coast Guard Administration (CGA) ships are scheduled to sail to the Philippines bearing the words “Taiwan Coast Guard” in a high-profile visit in October next year, the first such visit by a Taiwanese maritime law enforcement vessel to the Southeast Asian nation, the agency said yesterday. The CGA also confirmed that it had donated one of its decommissioned patrol vessels to the Philippines in a rare transfer of a retired ship to a nondiplomatic ally. The Republic of China (ROC) Navy last made such a visit in 1974, shortly before the Philippines switched diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China in
SOFT TENNIS: Yu Kai-wen and Huang Shih-yuan narrowly defeated their Japanese rivals to capture Taiwan’s first gold at the Asian Games in Nagoya Yu Kai-wen (余凱文) and Huang Shih-yuan (黃詩媛) won Taiwan’s first gold of this year’s Asian Games, defeating a Japanese duo in a nail-biter in the soft tennis mixed doubles final in Nagoya, Japan, while Johnny Sun (孫家閎) won silver in wushu and Shih Cheng-chung (石政中) won bronze in men’s kumite. Yu and Huang narrowly defeated Japan’s Toshiki Uematsu and Rena Temma 5-4 (2-4, 5-3, 4-2, 1-4, 1-4, 4-0, 1-4, 4-1, 7-5) to give Taiwan its first gold in soft tennis mixed doubles at an Asian Games since 2018. Sun secured Taiwan’s first wushu medal at this year’s game, with a combined score
CALL FOR CHANGE: They urged the UN to facilitate Taiwan’s involvement in the body, recognize its peace efforts and to work with members in preventing military conflict Representatives to the UN from five of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies sent a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, calling for the country’s inclusion in the body. Allies in the letter sent ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly General Debate made three demands in support of Taiwan: inclusion, recognition and camaraderie. They implored the UN to seek an appropriate way to facilitate Taiwan’s meaningful involvement in the world governing body, saying that UN Resolution 2758, which accepted the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a member of the UN, does not exclude Taiwan. Beijing claims that the
Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空工業) has finished production of the nation’s T-5 Brave Eagle (勇鷹) advanced jet trainers, with the final aircraft scheduled to be formally delivered at a ceremony on Thursday. The delivery of the trainer jets marks the end of the program, which dates back to 2017, with the first prototypes completed in 2019. Fifty-six of the 66 trainers had been delivered as of May. The Brave Eagle was developed and produced by AIDC and the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology. The program has provided a foundation for the development of a domestically produced next-generation primary trainer and
RSS