Warning that the proposed economic development project on Pingtan Island off China’s Fujian Province “is a new trick to lure Taiwanese entrepreneurs to invest in China,” a group of Taiwanese businesspeople whose investments in China turned sour plans to hold three protests starting today.
Kao Wei-pang (高為邦), head of the Victims of Investment in China Association (VICA), said the date was chosen to coincide with the arrival of Fujian Governor Su Shulin (蘇樹林), who is starting a five-day visit to Taiwan at the head of a 600-member delegation.
The protests will be held in Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung, Kao said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“With foreign investors leaving China in droves, Beijing has come up with one ploy after another to lure Taiwanese businessmen to take part in its plan for peaceful reunification,” Kao said.
The population of Pingtan is about 400,000, there is no harbor and the conditions for Taiwanese businesspeople are poor, he added.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) said China has designated Pingtan Island as an experimental zone for its “one country, two systems” model and is trying to lure Taiwanese investment.
Pingtan County, a 371km2 island county off China’s southeastern coast, has been touted by China as an “experimental zone” for joint cross-strait development.
In an effort to attract Taiwanese investment, China is pitching the concept of “joint planning, development, operation, management and benefits” across the Taiwan Strait. As part of the plan, Su announced last month that Fujian Province would offer managerial positions to Taiwanese professionals with annual salaries ranging from 200,000 yuan (US$31,700) to 1.2 million yuan. The offer includes three to five years of free housing, he said.
Earlier this week, Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) said the “joint management” proposal by China implied a “one country, two systems” scheme.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face