Although there are not yet statistics about the impact of China’s 31 measures aimed at attracting Taiwanese professionals and businesses, they still pose a national security risk, the Mainland Affairs Council said in a report yesterday.
Using “equal treatment” and other offers, China’s measures are aimed at enticing Taiwanese to give up their right to “be their own masters,” the report said.
Taiwanese would lose their democracy, freedom and human rights, the report said, calling the 31 measures a “huge challenge” to Taiwan’s national security.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Taiwanese invested US$5.221 billion in China from January to July, a 2.77 percent decrease from the same period last year, the report said, citing statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Investment Commission.
Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics data showed that 407,000 Taiwanese worked in China in 2016, 13,000 less than in 2015, the report said.
Due to this year’s decline in Taiwanese investments in China, the number of Taiwanese working in China might also continue to decrease, it said.
Since the announcement of the 31 measures, no professors from Taiwan’s public universities or top private universities have taken up teaching positions in China, while the number of private-school teachers and university graduates who have gone to teach in China has been about the same as before, the report said, citing information from the Ministry of Education.
Of the 37,149 students who studied abroad last year, 2,567 — about 6.9 percent — studied in China, the report said.
From January to last month, 108 doctors who said they planned to practice medicine in China applied for a certificate of good standing from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the report said.
That number was less than half that of last year’s or the 204 who applied in 2016, the report said.
While Beijing is making offers to Taiwanese willing to work in China, at the same time it is ramping up its suppression of Taiwan on the world stage, the report said.
Beijing uses credit score reporting systems and other methods to restrict freedom of speech and business operations, which pose risks for Taiwanese, the report said.
Taiwanese need to be aware of the risks associated with China’s offers, the council said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS