■ Politics
KMT-CCP seminar nixed
A seminar scheduled to be held in Taipei this month between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been postponed, and might be moved to Hong Kong after Taipei barred the 60 Chinese delegates from entering Taiwan, a radio station said on Monday. The KMT-affiliated Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) hinted that the postponement is a sign that Taiwan is tightening its China policy, because last month Taipei barred only Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), director of the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, from attending the meeting. Now, Taipei has barred all 60 Chinese delegates from attending, citing Beijing's hostile attitude to the country and its government.
■ Foreign affairs
Ma says no plans to visit US
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he so far has no plans to visit the US next February. Ma made the remarks in response to press reports which quoted Chang Ta-tung (張大同), deputy representative of the KMT and the People First Party (PFP) stationed in the US, as having said that Ma might visit the US in February. Ma said yesterday that for now, he had one trip planned already in the same month to Britain, Ireland and Belgium. According to the report, Ma is scheduled to call on officials in charge of foreign relations in the EU and the Taiwan British Business Council, as well as visiting British politicians in London. Ma also plans to speak at Cambridge University, Oxford University or the London School of Economics and Political Science, probably giving an introduction to Taipei's trade and investment environment.
■ Communications
NCC hearings to be public
The members review committee of the National Communications Commission (NCC) announced yesterday that its hearings at the Legislative Yuan, which are scheduled to run from Friday through Sunday, will be open to the public. People interested in watching the question-and-answer sessions can register to attend, not at the hearing room, but at an adjoining room to watch a live broadcast. Registration starts before the hearings begin at 9am Friday through Sunday. The final list of successful candidates for the NCC will be sent to the Executive Yuan for final approval by the premier. Political parties have named 11 members to the review committee, who will vote on 18 nominees, 13 of whom will become NCC members. To be successful, nominees must win more than 60 percent of the review committee ballots. If fewer than 13 pass that threshold in the first round of balloting, a second vote will be held to choose those who get more than half of the votes.
■ Overseas aid
Taiwan helps poor kids
A Taiwanese foster care center was opened late last month in Guatemala to take care of more than 700 children from poor families, a spokesman for the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families said. The center -- Corazon del Maiz -- is located in San Miguel Chicaj, some 65km north of the capital, Guatemala City, and will offer monetary aid and assistance in health and education to poor children and community services to families in the area, the spokesman said. The Taiwan-based foundation sponsors more than 2,000 poor children in Guatemala -- one of Taiwan's diplomatic partners in Central America.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
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