A former temple that was converted into a shrine to communism could become a security threat if it remains standing, a National Security Bureau official said on Sunday, adding that the bureau was happy that the Changhua County Government intends to demolish it.
The county government on Friday cut water and power supply to the former Buddhist temple and said it would demolish illegal buildings on the property tomorrow.
Wei Ming-jen (魏明仁), a contractor and former military officer, bought the property and used it as a means to allow Chinese influence to serve his own interests, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Wei is nobody of importance on either side of the Taiwan Strait, but people who embrace communism and “[Chinese President] Xi Jinping [習近平] thought” are used as pawns by Chinese officials in their “united front” strategy, the official said.
Flag-raising ceremonies at the temple were watched by the Chinese government, the official said, adding that former intelligence and national security officers found that doors opened for them in China after they attended the ceremonies.
Taiwanese looking to secure influence in China would use Facebook to “check in” at the temple, or share photographs of themselves with Wei, the official said.
Some retirees have taken advantage of this to do business in China, the official said, adding that one retiree had become wealthy by selling Taiwanese fruit in China.
With the recent instability in cross-strait relations, the bureau is concerned that some retired officials might sell confidential information in a bid to stay in China, the official said.
For some “unworthy retired officials,” going to the temple was a way to get a new lease on life in China, making it increasingly a national security matter, the official said.
Changhua County Commissioner Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) on Sunday said that “not a single brick or tile would be left in place” after local residents asked whether the county government would honor its promise to tear down illegal buildings on the property.
After power to the temple was cut, Wei Ming-jen set up a portable generator to continue broadcasting the Chinese national anthem.
“Buying a portable generator is within Wei Ming-jen’s rights, but if his blasting of the Chinese national anthem disturbs local residents, the Environmental Protection Bureau would deal with it,” the commissioner said.
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
Tropical Storm Nari is not a threat to Taiwan, based on its positioning and trajectory, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Nari has strengthened from a tropical depression that was positioned south of Japan, it said. The eye of the storm is about 2,100km east of Taipei, with a north-northeast trajectory moving toward the eastern seaboard of Japan, CWA data showed. Based on its current path, the storm would not affect Taiwan, the agency said.
The cosponsors of a new US sanctions package targeting Russia on Thursday briefed European allies and Ukraine on the legislation and said the legislation would also have a deterrent effect on China and curb its ambitions regarding Taiwan. The bill backed by US senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal calls for a 500 percent tariff on goods imported from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports — targeting nations such as China and India, which account for about 70 percent of Russia’s energy trade, the bankroll of much of its war effort. Graham and Blumenthal told The Associated Press
RSS