The political turmoil in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition bill has exposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula as untenable in Taiwan and unacceptable to Taiwanese, former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairman Richard Bush said yesterday.
“I think the outcome here in the whole case of the extradition bill just proves again to people here that one country, two systems is not workable here, not appropriate here,” Bush said at a forum on risks to peace in Asia.
Taiwan’s stance against China’s formula for unification has been amplified by the massive protests in Hong Kong, where people fear that the extradition bill would threaten human rights by subjecting Hong Kongers to China’s arbitrary judicial system, Bush said.
“For right now, the confidence of the Hong Kong people in their government and one country, two systems has diminished, declined,” he said.
The proposed bill, whose legislative process has been suspended in the wake of massive rallies in Hong Kong over the past week, would allow Hong Kong authorities to extradite suspects to Taiwan or China, including Macau.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told the forum that Taiwan needs to hold on to its democratic values to curb the expansion of authoritarianism.
The case of Hong Kong, a former British colony, has shown how media freedom and autonomous administration have given way to Beijing’s overarching power, Wu said, adding that Taiwan should never bow to dictatorship.
On the issue of the chances of military conflict in the Asia-Pacific region, Bush said that tensions have been escalating in the past few years due to the changing roles of the US and China.
The US has maintained “hegemonic stability” in East Asia since the Vietnam War, remaining a dominant power under which countries in the region, including China, could pursue political, economic and social modernization, he said.
Over the years, the US was comfortable with allies relying on it for security and depending on China for prosperity, Bush said.
However, the rise and fall of the balance of power between the US and China has led to challenges in maintaining the “status quo,” he said.
To maintain regional peace, it is important that the US and China reach consensus on peaceful coexistence, ideally through the establishment of an economic order led by those two and Japan, for instance, he said.
There should also be a mechanism to avoid conflict and the key is an acknowledgment by countries in the region that they do not have to make a choice between the US and China, Bush said.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
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