China is using the capitalist system and the free market to influence the media in Taiwan, a symposium at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University was told on Thursday.
Even though China is a socialist country, it does not hesitate to use capitalism to exert its influence, Graduate Student Association of National Taiwan University president Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) said, one of the organizers of the Youth Alliance Against Media Monsters.
He said that companies with strong pro-China ties had been heavily investing in Taiwanese media. The result, he said, had been a “silencing effect” on those who oppose Beijing’s policies and critics of China in Taiwan had been “marginalized.”
Lin said that Taiwanese laws had left a “gaping hole” for Beijing to exploit. He said Taiwan needs to establish legislation, anti-trust laws and “a clear mechanism” to keep Chinese influence of the media in check.
Louis Chiang , senior East Asia officer at the National Endowment for Democracy, told the symposium on “Media Freedom in Taiwan” that outside of the Internet, the media environment within China itself is a “wasteland.”
She said that many Chinese are “censored, controlled and brainwashed” and that if she were inside China herself she could be “put behind bars” simply for saying so.
Nevertheless, Chiang said, “cracks are developing” and Taiwan still serves as an inspiration for those in China seeking freedom of speech.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he
RSS