The government’s denial of permits for Shanghai Municipal Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Jin Mei (金梅) and nine Chinese journalists to attend the Twin-City Forum in Taipei next week were to protest against and express disapproval of China’s 22-point set of “guidelines” to penalize “diehard” Taiwanese independence separatists, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.
Beijing on June 21 unveiled the “22 guidelines” that allow its courts to try “Taiwan independence separatists” in absentia, with the death sentence applicable.
The government must review permit applications based on the cross-strait situation, the MAC said.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office took unfriendly action against Taiwan by announcing the “22 guidelines,” as well as setting up a mailbox for reporting people, the council said.
China’s measures have adversely affected cross-strait interactions and exchanges, and pose a serious risk to the safety of Taiwanese visiting China, which could not be overlooked by the central government, it said.
“The government cannot remain indifferent,” it added.
“This [denial of permits] serves as an expression of protest and dissatisfaction, while also demanding [that the Chinese authorities engage in] direct dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected government,” it said.
Attendance by the Chinese reporters at the 15th Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum on Tuesday is not necessary, as there are eight Chinese media firms with 12 reporters based in Taiwan, “which is deemed sufficient,” the MAC said.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) called the MAC’s decision regrettable and emphasized the need for confidence in Taiwan’s democratic resilience.
Taipei City Government spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) separately confirmed that not all of the members of the delegation of 102 from Shanghai had their permit applications approved.
Beijing did not disapprove of any delegates selected to join Chiang in a visit to Shanghai for the forum last year, but its openness was not reciprocated by Taiwan’s central government this year, Yin said, adding that the scrutiny contradicted the central government’s aim to facilitate cross-strait exchanges and dialogue.
Taiwan is in a difficult position, in which it must assert its stance on cross-strait issues while facilitating dialogue, but the central government should have been more supportive of the city government’s efforts to sustain dialogue, he said.
The central authorities should justify the decision with good reason, especially as Chinese media have been blocked by the government, even though people are confident in their democratic resilience and freedom of the press, he said.
Asked whether the permit denials would affect subsequent cross-strait exchanges, Yin said that the issue should be properly handled by the central government.
While the Executive Yuan has outlined its policy of comprehensive evaluation of Chinese coercion, as opposed to relying on single indicators, the city government is seeking a more specific definition of “coercion” and its scope, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Liu Tsai-wei (柳采葳) said the MAC could not justify its denial of the permits.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government belittles Taiwanese, as it believes that people exposed to China-related information are subject to “united front” tactics, Liu said.
The DPP has trampled the democracy and freedom it touts, which is why its members are sometimes called “green communists,” she said.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei (簡舒培) said she believes the MAC conducted the review in accordance with regulations and rejected Chinese media workers for a reason, especially after many Taiwanese politicians have been named by the TAO as potentially deserving punishment.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua and CNA
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in
RSS